IMPORTERS’ GIMMICKRY: In the face of depleting foreign reserves, commercial banks have started to open a letter of credit (LC) for importing essential items only, and have directed the importers to avoid mentioning unnecessary items in the category of essential items. Nevertheless, importers are mentioning non-essential items as essential. This might hamper the import of essential items, such as the ones needed by the pharmaceutical industry.

Shoaib Akhter
Karachi

COMMUTERS IN PERIL: The current condition of Lansdowne Bridge is giving the whole structure a haunted look. Moreover, the bridge connects Sukkur and Rohri, and its pathetic condition has been causing problems to students, commuters and office-goers alike. The authorities would do well to start repair work forthwith.

Ameer Hamza Abro
Rohri

CLIMATE CHANGE: A small village in Balochistan’s Pasni area appears to be in the grip of almost continuous sandstorms for some time. This may convert the whole area into a desert. The plight of the locals would be hard to imagine for those in urban centres, but the climate change phenomenon would not acknowledge the urban-rural divide soon. The government needs to wake up to the reality rather urgently, and do everything possible to stem the tide.

Parvez Ayub
Turbat

BROADENING SCOPE: The Sindh Public Service Commission (SPSC) has broadened the range of Combined Competitive Examination (CCE) by including certain posts in the education department. This surely is a step that needs to be welcomed and appreciated. On the other hand, the Balochistan Public Service Commission (BPSC) continues to conduct CCE only for the posts of assistant commissioners and section officers. The BPSC should follow the practice in Sindh.

Ahmed Ali Korar
Dera Murad Jamali

Published in Dawn, June 9th, 2023