“Man did not weave the web of life; he is merely a strand in it.” – Chief Seattle

Minors succumb to unholy practice

The shocking death of two minors, allegedly from food poisoning, has zeroed in on a dreary aspect of our society. The words of a noted author, “Where wealth accumulates, man decays” is an accurate reflection of the situation. The high-end eatery where the harrowing incident occurred, was the unlikeliest of places where substandard food is expected to be served to diners. The sale of substandard or stale meals, in a bid to economise and draw excessive profits, is a shameless act and should be punished by law. The lenient inspection by food control authorities who give these restaurant owners an easy escape should also be held accountable along with its management. It’s time we made our relevant departments active enough to sniff such foul play and act against them to prevent any further loss of human life.

Mehak Bano,
Karachi

Grave situation in Thar

Many remote regions of Sindh and Balochistan are deliberately ignored in each and every regard. On the top of the list is Thar. For decades the region of Thar and its inhabitants have been suffering of this negligence, resulting in the region ranking high in its death toll. According provincial health secretary, more than 1,327 children have lost their lives in the past four years due to malnutrition, low birth weight and lack of medical facilities. High authorities of Sindh and Prime Minister of Pakistan should take steps for the wellbeing of the Thar people.

Hamid Ahsan,
Quetta

Counterfeit medicines

The influx of fake and counterfeit medicines in the market has recently become a grave issue. Despite the issue having surfaced years back, no corrective measures were taken by our health ministry. At present, the sale and purchase of such medicines is becoming rampant particularly in small cities. Children under five years of age are mostly affected by these counterfeit medicines. In any medical emergency, the unprivileged cannot afford commuting to big cities for treatment and are bound to buy these fake medicines. I appeal to the health department to look into this matter and save lives.

Huzaifa Qureshi,
Rawalpindi

Surge in divorce rate

There has been a surge in divorce rate in our society with multiple factors to blame here. People need to realise that marriage is not just a social or religious event, but it’s a legal matter which is based on mutual consent of two persons. As every individual wants to know about the terms and conditions before signing any contract, likewise, it is also mandatory for a couple to be aware of all those terms and conditions which are the part of Marriage Consent Form (nikahnama), which consists of 25 crucial sections. It is important for every man and woman to carefully read and consider the conditions of “Marriage Consent Form”, because it’s the lack of awareness that creates disputes in relationships. In this regard raising awareness is a necessary act for everyone. Women, in particular should know about their rights, because majority of them are often unaware.

Pirah Aijaz Memon,
Karachi