Letters To The Editor


“You can muffle the drum, and you can loosen the strings of the lyre, but who shall command the skylark not to sing?” – Kahlil Gibran


Locusts swarm descends upon Karachi

A swarm of locusts from the Balochistan coastal areas attacked Karachi. Swarms of locusts entered various localities including Bahadurabad, Malir, Korangi, Gulshan Iqbal, Hassan Square and adjoining areas. Pakistan last experienced a locusts attack on such a large scale in 1961. This locusts attack not only affected the city areas but also the farmlands. Farmers in Malir complained that their crops have been attacked by the locusts and it has affected this year’s harvest badly. According to them, the farms in Malir haven’t been sprayed with pesticides in the last three decades. The farmers requested the minister of agriculture to save their crops from any such future attacks. Fortunately, the Minister of Agriculture Sindh, Muhammad Ismail Rahoo took full responsibility of the situation and guided the plant protection department to spray insecticides and pesticides in all the infested areas of the province.

Sohira Hussain,
Karachi.

Repercussions of the so called “peaceful protests”

Throughout the history of our nation, protests have always walked a thin line between peaceful and violent. These two factions of protests can be categorised as respectable (peaceful protest), or detestable (non-peaceful protest). It is debatable whether the increasing culture of protests in Pakistan harms democracy, but the negative effect they have on the roads and traffic is undisputed. Coupled with a bourgeoning population, and unplanned cities, various protests offshoot for different reasons can make everyday traffic and roads an extreme nuisance. Also, what we Pakistanis need to understand is that when a protest group with strong public support turns violent, people may perceive them as less reasonable. While protest is a constitutional right, it must be questioned how much of it is in democratic character and what good one is serving the country, if the protests keeps the work days from going smoothly and disrupts everyday life.

Ali Haider,
Islamabad.

Sixth most dangerous country for women

A recent survey by the Thomson Reuters Foundation showed that Pakistan falls into the category of the 10 most dangerous countries in the world for women. Pakistan has been ranked as the sixth-most dangerous and fourth-worst in terms of economic resources and discrimination as well as the risks women face from cultural, religious and traditional practices, including so-called honour killings. We all remember the Pakistani Hindu girl Nimrita Kumari’s case who was said to have committed suicide in her hostel room. The final post mortem report of Nimrita has shocked the public. According to the latest report issued by the Chandka medical College Hospital, Nimrita was sexually assaulted before her death and died due to asphyxiation. I concretely believe that with the right preventive measures, Pakistan can avert itself from being ranked in any such list in the coming years. Also, the authorities must make punishments for the offenders more severe so it discourages people from even thinking about committing such a heinous crime.

Maryam Tanveer,
Karachi.

Becoming a doctor in Pakistan

Due to an ordinance passed by President Arif Alvi, the PMDC has been dissolved and a new body by the name of Pakistan Medical Commission (PMC), a nine-member body has taken its place. This sudden announcement and closure of the PMDC offices sent shockwaves through the whole medical and dental fraternity. Many new rules of the PMC are being discussed on social media, one notable being the “NLE” or the National Licensing Exam which has caused an immediate uproar among medical students. Reportedly, this exam will be compulsory for all medical graduates after completion of their five years of medical education in order to obtain a medical license. As a medical student, I believe it’s quite absurd to give a license exam when one has already cleared the professional exams for five years and I strongly condemn this new rule by PMC.

Aliya Nasir,
Lahore.


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