THIS is with reference to the targeted killing of Al Jazeera reporter Shireen Abu Aqleh carried out by Israel, the occupier of Palestine. Moments before Shireen’s death have been documented as endless footage is freely available. In each clip, the Palestinian journalist can be seen wearing the identified blue vest with ‘Press’ clearly written across it. But Israeli brutality knows no bounds, respects no boundaries.

As always, there have been calls for investigation into the condemnable incident, a formality the West, led by the United States, and the United Nations are involved to pacify the Muslim world whenever such brutality happens.

The occupiers of Palestine have joined this formality, expressing their willingness to carry out the investigation along with the Palestinian Authority (PA). It is worth noting that the PA issued a statement wherein it rejected joint investigation with the occupation authorities because they were the ones who had committed the crime, and because PA, Hamas, Islamic Jihad and Palestinians in general do not trust them.

Israel has thrown in several lies to divert the attention from their crimes against Palestinian Muslims. Interestingly, the apartheid regime has a history of killing Americans and their allies, too.

It killed 34 American sailors when Israeli jet fighters deliberately attacked US intelligence-gathering ship, USS Liberty, on June 8, 1967, during the Six-Day War in the Mediterranean Ocean.

Rachel Corrie, an American peace activist, was killed while trying to stop an Israeli army bulldozer from demolishing a Palestinian home in the Gaza Strip in 2003. And now, Shireen, to name a few.

Shireen’s loss adds to the list of thousands of Palestinians killed ever since the Great Britain handed part of the Arabian peninsula to the European settlers in 1948. She was killed by weapons provided by the West. These countries are responsible for the crimes committed against the indigenous Palestinians.

Britain needs to correct its wrong. It needs to end its support for what the Amnesty International says is an apartheid state. The West needs to take back the European settlers and clear the Arabian peninsula.

While today the focus is on the killing of Shireen, the occupiers continue their attacks at Al Aqsa Mosque and the compound while the world community looks the other way, conveniently ignoring the crimes of Israel. This is utterly shameful.

Angabeen Ahmad
Umm Al Quwain, UAE

TEA QUALITY: Pakistanis are habitual consumers of tea, and all along the highways and motorways there are several spots serving the hot drink. I was recently travelling to Sukkur from Islamabad via road. Our bus stopped at various stations in Punjab and Sindh. My friend and I had tea in three service areas. Sadly, we got served the worst quality of tea. It was like hot water with no taste, no flavour, no aroma. The experience was the same at all the three service stations we stopped. The relevant authorities must ensure the quality of tea being served at such stations.

Shan ul Rehman
Khairpur Mirs

SERVICE ROAD: The Capital Development Authority (CDA) needs to build an additional service road alongside the Srinagar Highway to connect the H-13 area on the backside of the H-12 sector, or from the front side, for the commuters. The students, residing in the H-13 sector, face difficulty daily because of the dilapidated service roads. Hence, they have to go through the Srinagar Highway. A flyover is also needed at the Police Lines crossroad. The International Islamic University must be linked with the service road of the H-12 and H-13 sectors for the convenience of students and residents.

Shagufta Ansari
Islamabad

SHORTAGE OF MEDICINES: The basic health unit in my village efficiently provides free treatment for everyday ailments. However, a patient with severe abdominal pain had to suffer recently because the required medicine was not available at the inhouse dispensary. The authorities should do something about it.

Hassan Ali Raza
Gujranwala

ENCROACHMENTS: The Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) is taking action against encroachments in Nazimabad and adjoining areas. It should start similar action against encroachments, like in the Saddar area where pavements have been encroached upon. In the evening, pushcarts come onto the road causing additional problems by affecting the flow of traffic.

Abid Ali
Karachi

Published in Dawn, May 15th, 2022