EXPENSIVE SCHEME: This is with reference to the report ‘Punjab government approves water schemes for Murree’ (June 30). Considering the extensive work involved in beautifying an entire city and its surroundings means a massive expenditure. Do we have that kind of money available? Surprisingly, the development plan was presented and approved in a day. The ease and speed with which it all happened, without the proper involvement of civic or regulatory bodies and without working out the total or estimated cost, was really amazing. In a country where 40 per cent of the children have stunted growth owing to insufficient food intake, 26 million children are reported out of school, a lot of people are unsure where their next meal will come from, and the government is forced to beg for loans and cash inflows to merely pay interest on existing loans, the current government in Punjab seems to be indulging in rather costly hobbies.

S.R.H. Hashmi
Karachi

MISGUIDED STORYLINE: A Turkish drama is being screened on a Pakistani television channel dubbed in Urdu. Unfortunately, those behind the production of the said drama appear to be totally ignorant of the respected historical figures of Salahuddin Ayyubi and Nooruddin Zangi. The twisted storyline and its treatment have the potential to mislead, or at least confuse, the viewers, especially the young ones.

Syed Safdar Hussain
Karachi

SUMMER VACATION FEE: Even when there are no classes held during summer vacations, parents are required to pay the monthly tuition fee to the schools. This exacerbates their financial hardships. This is an unfair and unnecessary burden imposed by private school administrations on underprivileged parents. The teachers get their salaries even without having to render any academic service, but parents are constantly worried about their children’s fee. The government should intervene and provide some relief to the parents.

Muhammad Ismail
Hyderabad

Published in Dawn, July 16th, 2024