THE pandemonium between government and opposition benches in parliament recently underlined the lack of consensus on the controversial election bill. Indeed, legislation is critical to the working of a flourishing democracy, but, here, the case seems to be different. The government does not make even a token attempt to hide its utter disdain for the opposition, and the latter does its best to pay back in the same coin. That being so, the government, being in power and having all the tools at its disposal, has the upper hand, but the very essence of democracy demand a functional opposition. Unilateral decision-making by the government is not what a democratic system thrives on. Taking the opposition on board and building a consensus is integral.

For strengthening democracy, political consensus is mandatory and vital between the government and the opposition. As far as governance goes, there seems to be the proverbial elephant in the room as most opposition members claim that external forces are involved in the process.

Due to this tarnished political culture, prestigious state institutions have come under target which has only undermined their stature and perhaps autonomy as well. Despite grave political differences between the opposition and the government, there is a dire need for comprehensive dialogue to address all controversial pieces of legislation for a smooth functioning of parliament.

Saif ul Islam
Lahore

UNJUSTIFIED BILLING: Like many others, I have been penalised many a time with the so-called Passing Unregistered Gas (PUG) charges. I have informed the Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) of my minimal usage and asked them to recheck the supply line, but it has turned a deaf ear to all my complaints and has kept ‘earning’ money through unjustified inflated bills. Who will make the SSGC accountable?

Ali Raza
Karachi

STUDENTS’ WOES: I am a student of class VIII and would like to share the experience of how the Covid pandemic affected the lives of young students. As the physical classes were replaced by online arrangements, the students got more involved in the virtual world with excessive use of laptops and mobile phones. As a result, physical sports became less common and the connection with books, other than textbooks, weakened. It is hard for many students to meet the pace of the physical classes. Parents and teachers should guide the students accordingly.

Maasir Aizaz
Attock

ORAL CANCER: Oral cancer is a leading cause of death in Pakistan. According to a World Health Organisation (WHO) survey, every day in Pakistan around 46 patients were diagnosed with oral cancer, and 29 died during 2020. Tobacco, which is the main cause of oral cancer, is easily available in the market. It is our collective responsibility to eradicate this menace and ensure a bright future for the nation.

Dr Ameet Kumar
Mirpurkhas

BAD PERFORMANCE: The performance of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Public Service Commission speaks volumes about its ‘efficiency’. Inconsistent policies regarding recruitment,

substandard questions, mistakes in question papers, paper leakages and lack of facilities are persisting issues in every test that it conducts. In its recent test for recruitment of English lecturers, nine MCQs were either completely faulty or had major spelling mistakes.

Atta Ur Rehman
Peshawar

Published in Dawn, December 4th, 2021