GOING HOME FOR EID: Since the beginning of Ramazan, the transport mafia has increased the fares. The drivers behave arrogantly, drive recklessly, and overload the vehicle, putting everyone at risk. Most importantly, they do not take proper rest, and drive for long hours. The people bear the brunt of such practices. The autho-rities should control the transport mafia.

Zabeeullah Shaikh
Karachi

SELF-PROJECTION: In the developed world, placing personal photographs in government advertisements or giving one’s own or a family member’s name to a government project is considered an illegal and undesirable act of self-glorification. The Supreme Court of Pakistan, in a civil petition. also barred constitutional office holders and politicians in govern- ment from using their positions for “personal, partisan or pecuniary gain”, observing that such a tendency violates the Constitution, and “is also in bad taste”. It was, therefore, disappointing to see a recent government-sponsored 60-page supplement in some national newspapers.

Naeem Sadiq
Karachi

MISSING WHEEL: It was shocking to read about the PIA flight PK-306, which landed in Lahore without one of its wheels. This says a lot about the on-ground technical staff. According to some media reports, a PIA spokesperson has claimed that the tyre was present when the plane had taken off from Karachi and the aircraft made a normal landing. Really?

M. Rafique Zakaria
Karachi

NOT UNUSUAL: This is with reference to the report “PIA aircraft’s missing wheel found at Karachi airport” (March 15). It is believed that PK-306 lost one of its wheels after it struck an object on the runway at Karachi. The incident was handled casually by the airline, probably because it takes such things as normal. I hope we do not get to see news items like ‘PIA plane lands with only one engine running’, or ‘PIA crew makes successful landing despite the pilot being fast asleep’.

Shakir Lakhani
Karachi

Published in Dawn, March 23rd, 2025