“Brave dies but only once, while a coward dies again and again.” – Fatima Jinnah

Errors in census?

After a 19-year hiatus, Pakistan conducted its sixth population and housing census, wherein government employees volunteered to accumulate the population’s data amidst tight security provided by the army. Now based on unofficial data, the country’s total population is 210 million, while the population of the country’s largest city Karachi is said to have increased to 14.9 million from 9.39 million back in 1998. However, Karachiites have expressed their reservations over the data and have asked for the data by Pakistan Army and Statistics Division to be compared. Those protesting, consider this to be a deliberate error on the government’s part to decrease the city, as well as the provinces funds for various sectors. It is common perception that the increase in Karachi’s population is being denied to allow one province’s hegemony over the country. Therefore, as a citizen of Karachi, I request the concerned authorities to kindly look into this matter and release accurate and fair results.

Minha Khan,
Karachi

PM’s stance at UN

Pakistan’s newest premier recently attended the 72nd session of the United Nations General Assembly at the UN headquarters in New York. His first-ever visit to the UN after becoming the country’s prime minister has garnered quite a lot of attention following his sartorial choices, as well as his maiden speech at the General Assembly’s podium. I personally believe that his stance on this distinguished platform must be commended as the speech highlighted the sacrifices our country has made following the war on terror. His firm stance on refusing to become a scapegoat in relation to what is happening in Afghanistan gave a clear message to the international community that Pakistan will no longer give in to international pressures forcing to “do more”. His commentary on the human rights violations in Kashmir were on point, for he confronted India to end the atrocities. How we project our country internationally has immense impact on how we are to be treated by the world, which is why we need leaders who can stand up for their people’s rights and represent their nation in the best possible way.

Khalid Imtiaz,
Islamabad

Smoking should be banned

Any form of smoking needs to be banned by authorities in the country. Even if one smokes a cigarette, shisha or e-cigarette for that matter, they are vulnerable to diseases of the heart and lungs. The last decade has seen the number of smokers increase in Pakistan. According to a health survey, approximately 5.7 per cent of women and 46 per cent of men smoke tobacco, which eventually causes heart diseases and lung cancer. Around 100,000 tobacco smokers have lost their lives due to lung cancer. As much as one discourages smoking a cigarette, shisha smoking should also be condemned, for inhaling shisha for an hour is equal to puffing 100-150 cigarettes. Provincial government of Sindh last year placed a ban on sale and use of shisha in the province, however, lack of implementation did not let the ban leave an impact on the public. Strict laws need to be introduced along with their implementation, so that people stay away from unhealthy habits.

Hadi Usman,
Hyderabad

Overflowing gutters

I would like to draw the attention of Sindh’s administration, Karachi Water and Sewerage Board (KWSB) and Karachi Metropolitan Corporation to kindly take notice of the overflowing gutters in most parts of the city. Those responsible for managing these departments are invited to visit areas of the city where sanitary conditions are worsening day by day. If they cannot visit, they should at least send their staff to see all the dirt that has been affecting residents ever since the rain in Karachi. Case in point here is Soldier Bazaar number two, where sewage water overflowed and left the residents in trouble. Even though KWSB did send its truck to suck sewerage water, but did not do the job properly. Residents living in buildings surrounding this area have to face a lot of difficulty when stepping out of their homes. It is my humble request to all the above mentioned authorities to please do something about this issue.

Huda Karim,
Karachi