“You have to be like the pebble in the stream, keeping the grain and rolling along without being dissolved or dissolving anything else.”
– Joseph Joubert

Unhealthy practices

A video recently made rounds on social media, where several fruit vendors were filmed colouring the stale fruits using water colours to make them appear fresh and ripe and thus likeable for sale. The nasty situation is alarming as such a practice makes the fruit hazardous for health. The health ministry should take necessary action in this regard, while the general public should be aware of such unhealthy practices being hired by greedy fruit and vegetable vendors, who play with the lives of people just for the sake of earning a few extra bucks.

Batool Qasim,
Karachi

Road accidents on the rise

It is very disturbing when we hear the news of terrible road accidents, which have become a daily norm. Horrendous reports of people losing their lives as a result of reckless driving and carelessness raises an alarming situation. A recent incident near Multan where more than 20 people lost their lives when two buses collided while trying to avoid a motorcycle should be an eye opener for highway authorities. Some of the very reasons of the accidents are drivers without driving licence, over speeding, and unfit vehicles plying on the roads. The authorities should take appropriate measures to ensure road safety especially on highways.

Rehan Jamil,
Karachi

Street food vendors must not crowd schools

As a mother, I am very concerned about my child’s diet and nutrition and that is the reason I do not understand why street food vendors are allowed in front of schools. It is understood that these people are trying to make a living, but should not be allowed at the cost of making children sick as the stuff they sell is prepared in unhygienic conditions and is not healthy for kids. In my humble opinion, schools should keep a watchful eye on these vendors for the sake of children’s health. Additionally, schools should introduce healthier options in their canteens’ menu, rather than oily samosas and French fries. While there are schools that encourage students to bring home-cooked lunches, many are yet to introduce rules to promote healthy eating.

Anamta Khan,
Islamabad

Gun violence

United States is not the only country spattered in bloodshed resulting from gun violence and related issues of effective gun control. Our country, Pakistan, too has been on the forefront with incidents of unintentional shootings. Many cases were reported where mishandling of guns resulted in taking the lives of innocent. Recently, a police officer’s son from Sindh accidentally shot his friend. Young men from political or other influential families have relatively easy access to weapons and often possess them legally without allegedly meeting the legal requirements. It is important to implement effective laws to control illegal possession of weapons and completely ban it for pupils below the age of 18. Such legislation would be an important step towards making our society safer and prevent the loss of innocent lives.

Rehmat Khan,
Karachi