KEEPING THE CHANGE: While price escalation is a serious worry on its own, the problem is exacerbated by the fact that shopkeepers have stopped keeping coins and do not return the balance amount to the buyers. From petrol pumps to general stores, the practice is rampant across Turbat. If you buy something for, say, Rs18, and pay Rs20, hardly any retailer pays you back Rs2, arguing that there is no coin available. The administration should look into the issue without delay.

Amir Yasin
Nizarabad

DEPRIVED SONARO: The majority of people in Balochistan live in rural areas where they often struggle to have access to basic ameneties, such as water and gas. Sonaro is one such area that has been without such facilities for years now. Things being what they are, education remains a distant dream for the people of Sonaro. The provincial government would do well to release some development package for the area.

Mubarak Faryad
Khuzdar

LACK OF PUNCTUALITY: Among the many reasons that contribute to a country’s failure is aversion to punctuality. Getting to the workplace behind schedule is a trend in Pakistan. To know why the developed world is more success-ful than us is not really a hard nut to crack.

Name withheld on request
Multan

NEVER-ENDING PAIN: Neither the pain nor the haunting memories of those who lost their lives in the infamous Army Public School (APS) carnage seem to be lessening with time. It is a wound that is not going to heal. It never will for the parents who lost their beloved children on that fateful day more than eight years ago. The current resurgence of the terrorists who were responsible for the APS massacre confirms that the culprits are back in force. How can one sit back and be satisfied that the worst is behind us? The menace needs to be handled sternly.

Anwar Sayab Khan
Peshawar

Published in Dawn, January 15th, 2023