One Percent Republic
With reference to your last month’s cover story titled ‘One Percent Republic,’ let me add some more facts relevant to the on-going saga that truly defines the way things take place in the name of governance and administration. Honestly speaking, this has been quite a trend among the former diplomats, ex-public office holders and retired bureaucrats, who first settle in a foreign county post retirement and then start biting the hand that once fed them by lambasting and finding faults with their home country, along with its top institutions. In such a convoluted scenario, it is quite difficult to determine who is guilty and who is not, better to say, who is serving the country with a deep sense of patriotic commitment, or in marked contrast, making use of the motherland for his own self-interest.
Anjum Fayyaz,
Rawalpindi, Pakistan.
No End in Sight
This is with reference to the Interview with Dr. Ashfaq Hasan Khan, appeared in SouthAsia in its January 2023 issue. As rightly said by Dr. Ashfaq Hasan, Pakistan’s economy is in a very bad condition. Particularly in the same 10 months, the country’s economic sector has gone through a lot of destruction with no end in sight in the near future. Though the term ‘economic default’ has now become a household term in Pakistan, the people at the helm of affairs are still in a denial mode and are wasting time to take drastic measures without further ado.
Kokab R. Jahan,
Karachi, Pakistan.
Early Reading Habits
Readers are leaders, as the saying goes, and rightly so, as reading opens the mental faculties, broadens the mental horizon and helps one enter the world of unknown and discover it to the fullest with full confidence and thirst for knowledge. In today’s era, it has become mandatory for parents to make sure that their children read books, magazines and newspapers on a regular basis to make their base skills stronger during early childhood. This habit will eventually help them and prepare them for tougher battles for the future. It may be challenging for the first few days, but eventually the hard work and dedication will pay off in the long run. In fact, writing and speaking skills matter a lot in one’s academic growth together with professional success.
Shagufta Haroon,
Faisalabad, Pakistan.
Well-written Article
In reference to the article ‘It’s Never Too Late’ by Arslan Qadeer appeared in January 2023 issue of SouthAsia, I must say that the writer hit the nail on the head. The write-up was quite well-written and beautifully portrayed the harsh reality that the powers that be find it difficult to acknowledge owing to their stubborn attitude and intrinsic complex of being superior over civilians. The same is valid for the ‘My Lord’ and ‘Your Honour’ species who are, in fact, holier than sacred cows and have been playing the most negative role, along with their khaki cronies, in the continuous destruction and systematic deterioration of the country’s superior institutions in the name of establishing the writ of the law. Very well-written article.
Rasheed Ahmed,
Lahore, Pakistan.
State of Poor Governance
There are a litany of reasons behind the poor state of governance that fail us time and again. However, one thing which is undeniable is the fact that the greater interests of the state are often left on the back burner to advance the vested interests of those in power. In doing so, no regard is given to the state laws or the government procedures. In a country like ours, things are settled behind closed doors that too in cahoots with like-minded self-seekers and carpetbaggers. The vicious cycle continues and is supposed to continue for the decades to come in the guise of good governance.
Aftab Ahmed,
Peshawar, Pakistan.
Politics of Opportunism
No government is supposed to go beyond the state as well as its defence institutions. However, Pakistan, since its very beginning, has been failed by the people who claim to be its servants and it is the country which always ends up being an ultimate casualty of the power play played by its own saviours. With a proven track record of lies, double-speak and rhetorical about-turns, the PTI, led by Imran Khan, seems to have set another bad precedent by relying upon opportunists of the current era only to get power back. In my opinion, this approach can be summed as the politics of opportunism and nothing else.
Shazia Humayun,
Lahore, Pakistan.
Children are Children
Mental health has emerged as one of the major issues in recent times. It’s very important for parents to first understand the child’s mental state, in place of blaming them for their failures in academic life due to any particular reason. To be very honest, children never want to disappoint their parents or make them feel embarrassed in the society. Instead, parents should be there for their children as their guide before taking punitive measures against them. After all, children are children as parents need to realize the fact before castigating them or finding fault with their academic performance or behavioural issues.
Fahad Hussain,
Sukkur, Pakistan.
Misguided Belief
The titles of the films being produced in Pakistan and India are semantic enough to corroborate the intellectual inadequacy of the country’s young, highly-qualified yet literarily retrograde filmmakers. Let me briefly explain the tragedy by using the analogy of rose. A name, acoustically appealing or audibly inane, is a name above all else. This misguided belief once cherished by Shakespeare and revered by the likes of him even today, can be cogent for such primitive lovebirds as Romeo and Juliet. Per contra, a rose by any other name in this day and age could only demean its significance and stature and shorn the sweet-scented flower of its exalted status of being known as anything but a rose. The same is true for the new film titles we come across both in Pakistan and India.
Ayan Banerjee,
Calcutta, India.
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