FIRE INCIDENTS: Various fire incidents were reported in different areas of Karachi within a few weeks recently, the most devastating being the one at the Cooperative Market in Saddar where around 500 shops were gutted. The shop-owners should work in cohesion with all relevant departments to improve the situation inside the markets. Electricity wires are seen hanging loosely, and there are no fire-extinguishers around. Profess-ionals must conduct regular inspection of the electricity network inside the markets.

Khurram Zia Khan
Karachi

BROKEN ROADS: Roads in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) are mostly in a poor condition. Instead of constructing new ones, the government should try to mobilise resources to repair the existing roads. Keeping in view the high volume of traffic on certain roads, new link roads are needed, but only after the existing issues have been addressed. Proper traffic study should be conducted on a regular basis and roads should be widened accordingly.

Altaf Khan
Rawalakot

MISINTERPRETED JUDGEMENT: I have been allotted the post of mukhtiarkar after passing the relevant exam in July 2019. The successful candidates have not been issued appointment letters because of a court order in a case that has nothing to do with us. The relevant authorities must look into the matter.

Abdul Fattah Jan
Hyderabad

EXPLOITATIVE EMPLOYERS: It is a matter of extreme disappointment that a number of employers, including some well-known multinational companies, are agitating against the Sindh government’s laudable decision to increase the minimum wage of workers to Rs25,000 per month. If one scans through the financial reports of public listed companies, the remuneration paid to chief executive officers (CEOs) is enough to pay the minimum wage of 166 persons for a year. The employers should end their resistance, and voluntarily raise the minimum wage.

Moin Mohajir
Karachi

Published in Dawn, December 27th, 2021