SMOG SEASON: Once again, the skies in Lahore have turned grey, and the air smells and feels like floating poison. The smog steals away our stars and clear blue skies. It stings the eyes and irritates the throat. Little children struggle with asthmatic attacks and the parents juggle with air purifiers to help their children breathe properly. What steps are we taking individually and collectively to ensure our children have safe air to breathe?

Mariam Khan
Lahore

DRUG ADDICTION: The rise of drug addiction among the young is alarming. According to an estimate, 25 per cent of the young population in the country is involved in taking drugs, with cannabis being the most commonly used form alongside opium, heroin and other narcotics. The government should pay heed to the matter and punish the guilty. Besides, it should form a comprehensive strategy to combat the menace.

Syeda Haya Ali
Karachi

BARBARIC INCIDENT: The mob lynching incident in Karachi’s Machhar Colony is a glaring example how our social unconsciousness is drifting away from true religious injunctions. It is disheartening to know that rumours incited the lynching. As per religious teachings, we are supposed to ascertain any piece of information before even spreading the word around, let alone killing someone. The perpetrators, especially those who instigated it, should be ashamed of themselves.

Kamran Akhtar Siddiqui
Sukkur

DISGRUNTLED ASPIRANTS: The young in the province are dismayed and frustrated as the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Public Service Commission (KPPSC) has not announced job openings under the Public Management Service (PMS) despite having several such posts lying vacant since 2020. The delay has not only caused frustration to the aspirants, but has also harmed the functioning of the administrative machinery in the province. While increasing age limit, the KPPSC should conduct exams annually.

Ahmad Mukhtar
Swabi

Published in Dawn, November 13th, 2022