ESSAY COMPETITION: The Higher Education Commission (HEC) had announced an inter-university essay competition in July 2022, and was rather strict about the deadline for the submission of contributions. However, it never mentioned the date for result announcement. In addition, the students did not receive an email or receipt whether or not their essays had been received. Those who had sent their entries are dejected with the delay and the uncertainty that has marked the entire process. This snail-paced assessment has left a question mark on HEC efficiency and competence.

Shozab Ali
Khairpur Mirs

PROPER PITCHES: The rather dead playing surfaces we have seen all through the home season have been rightly criticised by those who follow the game of cricket. One fails to understand why we cannot have proper playing surfaces in our stadiums. Is preparing pitches some sort of a rocket science beyond the capacity of Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and the large number of ‘experts’ on its payroll?

Imtiaz Akhter
Rawalpindi

TREE PLANTATION: Pakistan needs more trees for a variety of reasons. It is ignorant of us to have failed to plant trees all these years. A lot of our current issues, like natural calamities and worsening air quality, owe their origin to the lack of greenery on the ground. We must learn from our failures and do the right thing before it gets too late.

Saira Ahmad
Toba Tek Singh

EARLY MARRIAGES: Child marria- ges in Pakistan have been hampering efforts to improve the condition of our women. An early marriage deprives women of any chance to hone their skills by learning and getting education. Any law to uplift the social status of women will fail to deliver if we continue with the trend of child marriages in society. The issue is ram- pant in many countries, but Pakistan needs to tackle the issue urgently.

Mubarak Faryad
Khuzdar

Published in Dawn, January 18th, 2023