BABAR Sattar’s article ‘Angry impotence’ (Sept 2) is a thought-provoking discourse on the role of the state and society which is causing regressive trends in our national psyche.

He has correctly highlighted the issues but their causes are not conclusive. For instance, freedom of expression and speech was never so liberal in Pakistan. The ban on Youtube is just an eyewash as all of us have an easy access to it through various proxies.

Indeed, the retraction of cellphone night packages is a sensible decision from a dispassionate perspective.

The youth of our country is grossly enmeshed in a wanton lifestyle that is terribly destroying their moral fibre. If such impressionable minds will keep awake the entire night for loathsome pleasures, then what kind of academic excellence and character-building can they achieve.

As a matter of fact, the crippling economy and the ever-diminishing investment in human resources and quality education are the main factors of our decadence.

The near absence of educational institutions and vocational centres in our remote villages and tribal areas has led to the mushroom growth of madressahs where the majority of our young generation is readily accommodated.

That is how religious intolerance, a distorted concept of Islam and jihad, and the will of thoughtless minds have inflicted the country so rampantly.

Pakistan was created in 1947 but a nation could not emerge in more than 66 years. This dichotomy has today brought us much closer to anarchy and colossal destruction. How did we stray in our journey is another debate for another time.

HAROON R. SIDDIQI
Karachi