The postponement of the Provincial Civil Services (PCS) examination is a genuine demand of the aspirants belonging to Balochistan. Recently, the Balochistan Public Service Commission (BPSC) announced Aug 26 as a tentative date for PCS written examination. This is unfair to those planning to appear in the Special Central Superior Services (CSS) examination starting on Oct 12. There are hundreds of aspirants who had been waiting for both these exams for years, particularly the Special CSS, which is a golden opportunity. Now they stand perplexed as to whether they should prepare for PCS or Special CSS. The authorities concerned should look into the matter to facilitate the candidates.

Shahid Kakkar
Lahore

SCHOOL FEE SPIKE: As soon as the students returned to their schools on Aug 1, they were handed a fee voucher by the respective administrations with a 25 per cent increase. Tagged with that was a voucher for the annual fee that has to be paid separately. There is clearly no check on private schools. An increase of, say, 10pc would have been understandable in view of the general price spike and the historical pattern of fee increases, but a sudden increase of 25pc is an act of utter injustice. There have been job retrenchments in the market and businesses have been hit hard by economic recession, but school administrations are living in a world of their own. The decison should be reversed.

Mumraiz Khan
Karachi

AN INEFFECTIVE AUTHORITY: Things seem to have gone beyond the control of the Defence Housing Authority (DHA) in Karachi. Having failed to take care of water supply and drainage issues for years, the authority is now struggling to remove or manage the hanging telephone and internet cables that have been posing a risk to the lives of passers-by. There are a number of DHA supervisors patrolling the streets, but they are apparently unable to notice the hanging wires. The DHA should look into the issue without wasting any further time.

Dr. Asghar Naqvi
Karachi

Published in Dawn, August 5th, 2023