LOANS AND WOES: The government has expressed its pleasure on the approval of $7 billion loan from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The IMF progra-mme is vital for Pakistan’s government to navigate the economic crisis. The cond-itions imposed by the IMF have already caused discomfort to the people. Rising inflation has hit the people hard. There has been a discernible trend towards privatisation of public institutions and downsizing of the workforce. Instead of relying on loans, it would be better to increase capital through exports, prioritise savings, cut down unnecessary expenses, and introduce policies that may improve the living standards of the people.

Tahira Memon
Khairpur Mirs

SINGER CHOWRANGI: I pass through Murtaza Chowrangi in the Korangi Ind-ustrial Area every day, and observe eight to nine traffic police officials standing in a huddle, and stopping vehicles for no good reason. Just a roundabout away, the Singer Chowrangi is a constant scene of traffic chaos simply because there are not enough traffic police personnel performing duty there. Instead of deploying these valuable resources at the wrong roundabout, at least five traffic police personnel should be shifted to the Singer Chowrangi during rush hours so they may assist in traffic management.

Salman Ali
Karachi

DENGUE ALARM: There has been an abrupt upsurge in dengue cases across Rawalpindi over the last few weeks. Compared to previous years, the numbers are on the lower side, but the current rise in dengue cases has certainly created a fear among experts that the virus has mutated into a more severe variant, with most suspects suffering from acute hae-morrhagic fever. It is imperative for the authorities to take immediate as well as drastic measures to combat dengue. Besides, the deployment of vaccination programmes is rather crucial to ensure the safety and wellbeing of the people, mainly children aged 9-16 who have previously contracted dengue infection.

Mehreen Ali
Karachi

Published in Dawn, October 17th, 2024