BLATANT CORRUPTION: I had applied for the post of assistant sub-inspector of police under the ‘deceased’ quota in Sindh police. I passed the written and physical tests and qualified for the interview, but before my interview, the department concerned asked for the legal heirship certificate to be verified by the Mukhtiarkar in Hyderabad. I went to the relevant office at 1pm. The staff made me wait for five hours just for this little task. They were constantly making excuses till around 5.30pm when one official came to me and asked for Rs1,000, apparently on behalf of Mukhtiarkar, for merely putting a signature on what actually was a legal document issued by a court of law. I was obviously irritated and protested against the illegitimate demand, but finally had to give in because of the corrupt system.

Mazhar Yousuf Ansari
Hyderabad

TRANSPORT FARES: The federal government has reduced the prices of petroleum products a few times in the last about a year, but the decisions have not reflected in the prices of transport fares. When the prices of petroleum products increase, the transporters immediately increase the fares, and the prices of food items and all other commodities go up across the board as everybody mentions the rising fuel prices to justify the hike. However, when the prices go down, its effects do not reach the common man. There has to be some mechanism in place to bring this unfair attitude to an end.

Khalida Khalid
Turbat

MAKLI NECROPOLIS: This is with reference to the report ‘Vagabonds out to damage chounras models at Makli Necropolis’ (June 5) which criticised the provincial Archaeology Department

for theft and insecurity at the said heritage site. The department has already taken action against land-grabbers and strict measures are in place to ensure that no material is stolen from the site. No case of vandalism has been reported by the site manager either.

Spokesperson
Directorate-General of Sindh
Antiquities and Archaeology
KarachiEquam que volorro doluptur?

Published in Dawn, June 10th, 2023