SENIOR CITIZENS: Pakistan has about 10 million elderly people in its population. A rather dark side of emerging social realities is the trend to abandon the senior citizens, including even those who happen to be our relatives. I often see old women on the streets selling flowers to earn a living, or old men begging for themselves in the freezing cold. The elders deserve respect and empathy, and should be treated the way they used to treat the young in their hour of need.

Mishal Akhtar
Lahore

SECURITY MEASURES: Pakistan has been the country most affected by terrorism in the region. The flawed foreign policy over the years, influenced by dictations from abroad, pushed us into proxy wars wherein we lost thousands of lives and suffered huge financial losses. The recent blast in Lahore is a warning sign for us to take corrective measures before it gets too late.

Zunaira Haroon
Lahore

USELESS COMPARISONS: Governments in Pakistan always love to compare the national economy with other Asian nations and somehow always find Pakistan to be better than most. The man on the street continues to suffer, knowing no one in any position of power is bothered about his plight. If the government cannot pay attention to ground realities and address critical issues, it can at least stop making undue comparisons and drawing conclusions that they want to draw.

Mohammad Abdullah
Islamabad

PEDESTRIANS’ WOES: Pedestrians on Girja Road in Dhoke Syedan, Rawalpindi, face extreme difficulties, especially when it rains as the adjoining streets get inundated. The road has a mosque on one side and a school on the other. Students and commuters have to tip-toe across stagnant water which is a nuisance and a health hazard. The relevant authorities should look into the matter.

Ahmed Abdullah
Rawalpindi

Published in Dawn, February 1st, 2022