UNFAIR TAXES: The government’s decision to levy additional taxes on air fare is nothing but an addition to the already never-ending list of hardships faced by the senior citizens in the country. Most senior citizens have to travel in business class on long flights owing to their medical conditions, and the expenses are borne by their children staying abroad. The government really needs to revisit the decision to facilitate the senior citizens.

Zafar Naqvi
Karachi

PRICE SURPRISE: Wary of high prices of food items in local markets, buyers turn to Utility Stores to get them at a fair price, but the prices there, surprisingly, happen to be even higher. For instance, white chickpeas are available at Rs400 per kg, but the price in Utility Stores is Rs415. Moreover, most of the shelves remain empty with an ‘out-of-the-stock’ sign. And, finally, the stores irritatingly fail to keep enough loose change at the cash counter, and simply round off the total bill on the higher side.

Haris Nasir Choudhary
Gujrat

CENSUS AND TEACHERS: The decision to involve government teachers in the ongoing national census has thrown the academic year in schools completely off the rails. This is especially so in Balochistan where most of the people send their children to public-sector schools owing to poverty. The government should hire the services of unemployed youth on an ad hoc basis to keep the system running.

Farhan Rauf
Turbat

GRUESOME ACT: This is with reference to the report “Three brothers, their friend killed ‘over old enmity’” (Feb 15), which was distressing. The killing of three innocent schoolchildren as revenge is reflective of an obsolete culture and mindset that continue to nibble away at the social fabric of an otherwise sane society. When would such a mindset and culture come to an end?

Farhana Ansari
Karachi

Published in Dawn, April 11th, 2023