BEING HUMAN: In a country where ostracisation of the disabled is rife, it is easy to slip down the slope of ‘us’ versus ‘others’. The understanding that a non-speaking child still has something to say is akin to understanding that a person with no car still has places to go to. All humans exist in a complex reality which they paint, construct and structure in their own unique ways. Allowing those worlds to exist, those stories to be told, and those lives to mesh with the greater story is what it means to be human.

Annas Ghafoor
Karachi

BIG PHARMA: I recently went to get some specific medicines for my diabetic mother, but, as usual and as expected, the alternative durgs were available but not the ones prescribed by the doctor. Why do doctors prescribe particular medicines from a particular pharmaceutical company? Is it because of the benefits in cash and in kind that major companies bring into play to meet their sales targets? The nexus between big pharmaceutical companies and doctors is an unethical practice that is causing nothing but agony to the patients. The authorities should intervene in the matter urgently.

Robaisha Lisharbeen
Islamabad

RISKING LIVES: Jaywalking is a serious issue in Karachi. Hundreds of accidents happen on the roads, but mostly go unnoticed. People put their lives at risk even when there is a pedestrian bridge close to the spot. No law can be effective unless it is interlinked with mass awareness.

Zuhair Ali Khan
Karachi

GOODS, NOT PASSENGERS: The trains that are managed and operated by Pakistan Railways are ‘passenger’ trains only in name. However, the manner in which the passengers are treated during the journey suggests these are pretty much cargo trains; the ‘cargo’ being the passengers!

Muhammad Mahmood
Islamabad

Published in Dawn, January 22nd, 2023