LOOMING THREAT
LOOMING THREAT: The province of Sindh has witnessed a troubling resurgence of mosquito-borne diseases. The situation is particularly bad in the rural areas. The looming threat of malaria and dengue fever is not being addressed by the relevant authorities, including the municipal and union council leaderships. No fumigation drive has been initiated, which is a matter of great concern. The government should intervene and take robust measures to curb the proliferation of mosquito-borne diseases. Besides, mosquito nets and repellents must be distributed to the communities at risk.
Jinsar Ali Jamro
Khairpur Mirs
VULNERABLE CITIZENS: Taking out cash from a bank has become a seriously dangerous and risky affair in Karachi. Armed robbers roam around the city on motorbikes, keeping an eye on people approaching a bank, or an ATM. They carry weapons and are well-connected with each other through mobile phones. We, the people of Karachi, pay 65 per cent of the total revenue that is collected by the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) every year. However, the people get neither any facility nor safety of their lives. Admi- nistrative loopholes and constant negligence are already forcing the people to avoid maintaining a bank account. Is that what the authorities really want?
Mumraiz Khan
Karachi
RAILWAY BOOKING: I recently visited the Margalla Railway Station in Islamabad H-9 area to book my seat for a journey I had planned. There was no ATM machine, and I had to go quite a distance to draw cash and buy the tickets as they could only be bought from the counter by paying cash. Although Pakistan Railways has developed an app, Rehbar, for online payments, simplifying the booking process by accepting credit and debit cards can be a big relief. Besides, there is a need to install an ATM at all major railway stations in the country to facilitate the not-so-tech-savvy clients.
Ghazala Anbreen
Islamabad
Published in Dawn, April 19th, 2024