The newly-constituted Board of the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) comprises economists and professionals qualified in their respective fields. There is one name, however, about which people may have strong reservations as the gentleman is already an SBP consultant, owns and invests in ‘fintechs’ that are regulated by the SBP, and is himself an applicant for a digital banking licence.

There is a conflict of interest that needs to be seriously considered by those concerned.

Fareeha Butt
Karachi

DELAYED APPOINTMENT: The interviews to fill certain posts at the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) were in progress when the change took place in the federal government. Subsequently, the Federal Public Service Commission (FPSC) put the process on hold even after uploading the schedule for the remaining interviews. However, on contact, the FPSC tells that the process will resume at an appropriate time. The candidates hope that the process will resume soon because the delay is making them suffer for no fault of their own.

Name withheld on request
Chitral

SHAMBOLIC DEMOCRACY: Even after over seven decades of independence, democracy has not taken roots in the country, it seems. There have been periods of palace conspiracies, military takeovers and distorted democracy, but other than change in characters, there has been no change in governance patterns. There are several reasons behind a shambolic democracy, the biggest being the hypocrisy of our politicians.

Iqbal Shakir
Mianwali

CONTENT DIVERSITY: Electronic and digital media houses worry about nothing except ratings and views that ultimately get converted into advertising revenue. They focus only on whatever is trending on social media platforms with zero concern about repetitive content which is actually irritating for the people. In contrast, the print media provides in-depth and wholesome content. Content creators associated with electronic and digital media need to change priorities.

Hajra Rauf
Karachi

Published in Dawn, August 6th, 2022