THIS is with reference to the picture carried recently (Metro, March 6), which showed the Sindh chief minister presenting a solar panel to a woman from a vulne- rable community, and giving credit for this gesture either to his government or to his party leadership.

Nobody can deny that it was a nice gesture, but the key to giving is to main-tain humility, humbleness, and to avoid showing off. We do not seem to realise this simple rule in Pakistan where the act of giving is an inevitable photo-op.

This practice, as I see it, owes its origin to the colonial and tribal culture in this part of the world. We still opt for a photoshoot to show a smile on the face of the giver, and the signs of humiliation on the face of the receiver.

What difference will it make if the giver does not go for a photoshoot to get it published in newspapers? Do we see any such example of leadership in the Western world?

We need to work on the restoration of human dignity and respect. Otherwise, we will remain in the list of backward nations for a long time. We should remember that humanity is our community.

Mehdi Rizvi
Pickering, Canada

Published in Dawn, March 16th, 2025