Letters to the Editor (April 2018)

Love Marriages

Nowadays love marriage is a very common thing in the world and in Pakistan too. Before deciding on love marriage, couples mostly fail to think whether they can stay with their decisions or not. And a result, divorce rate is alarmingly rising. According to a report in 85 percent love marriages in Pakistan end up in separations. After the separation, the life of their children gets too much disturbed rather totally destroyed. The couples should keep in mind the future of their kids while deciding that of their own.

Sooda M. Akram (Turbat)

The Happy Nation

According to a recent UN report, Pakistanis have been ranked the 75th happiest country in the world. We have crossed all our neighbouring countries like China (86) Iran (106) Bangladesh (115) Sri Lanka (116) and Afghanistan (145). Pakistan has also crossed India which has been ranked 133rd. I feel happy that we have been ranked the 75th happiest nation in the world. One needs to be happy in life since darkness doesn’t descend our life all the time, light has to come. Life is like a book; some pages are good, some bad but this all together makes up the story of life.

Zeeshan Nasir (Kech)

An Apostle of Cosmology

When I read Stephen Hawking’s book “A Brief History of Time,” I felt that somebody is present to be remained curious being even physically paralysed. He proved by his commitment that man can do everything if he owns sincerity with the quest of exploration. He stood true to his words: However difficult life may seem, there is always something you can do and succeed at.”

Hawking was the first to set out a theory of cosmology explained by a union of the general theory of relativity and quantum mechanics. I am always inspired by the men of science but his contribution is just matchless. We are very unfortunate that we lost Stephen as his loss is irreparable.

Dr Zeeshan Khan

Russian Embrace 

The close relations between America and India and the European Union’s (EU) sanctions on Russia have compelled Russian government to explore a new economic market with Pakistan. Besides liquefied natural gas (LNG) energy deal of $1.7 billion signed in 2014, Moscow has currently offered Pakistan the export of 5000MW electricity. Other projects; including CASA-1000 and the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline are also offered by Russia. It is high time Pakistan worked with Russia to expand cooperation with Moscow to get most of its projects.

Wajahat Abro (Shikarpur)

The Corrupt Political Culture

The recent Senate election has raised many questions in our minds. Senate is considered the sacred upper house of the parliament but the tactics and dirty political manoeuvring employed in the recent election has been a shame on the name of democracy. It is blamed that a vote for a Senate seat priced more than forty million rupees and members of provincial assemblies sold themselves out. Perhaps, it was the last chance for them to collect money during current tenure. It has always been happening in Senate elections but this time due to the unprofessional conduct and bad internal affairs of the political parties, this corruption increased manifolds. The biggest loser in all this drama was PML(N). The results for the seats of the Chairman and the Deputy Chairman were also against their planning. The PML(N) is blaming the corrupt political culture for it, without having any compunction that they have been leading this culture for the last almost forty years. They have promoted this culture and used it when and how they needed it. So why are they blaming the others now?

Tariq Mahmood Khan

Pak-Iran Ties

The recent visit by Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif to Pakistan was to encourage collaboration between both countries so as to cooperate for eliminating terrorism from the region, increase bilateral trade, improve Pakistan-Iran border security and identify and remove all the impediments in the way of improving relations. Additionally, the Iranian delegation discussed the matters pertaining to trade, energy, culture, people-to-people contacts and also invited Pakistan and China to invest in the port of Chabahar so that they can increase bilateral trade and security engagements.

The Government of Pakistan should work diligently to open such new channels of cooperation that best serve the interests of both the countries. Our foreign policy must be guided by the fact that Pakistan needs to make new allies and strengthen relations with neighbouring countries. May the reciprocal visits help in strengthening the bilateral relationship!

Baba Faiz (Ball Nigwar)