RUPEE VALUE: Not in the distant past, we had a dictator who was somehow able to stabilise the national economy and present to the world Pakistan’s brighter image. The stock exchange showed bullish trends and the US dollar remained steady. What was surprising was the fact that the dollars were not just coming to Pakistan, they were also making visible positive changes because they were being invested professionally and sincerely. I want to ask our gurus why now, even when the donors are providing us bailout packages, the dollar does not remain stable?

Tahir Hassan
Karachi

LEGAL STATUS: Amid all that is happening in the country’s politics, we have all forgotten about the cases related to the constitutional requirement of holding elections within 90 days of the dissolution of an assembly. The question has remained unanswered about the constitutional position in case where a chief minister dissolves the assembly against his own will on the advice of the party leader to force premature elections.

Mustafa Husain
Karachi

INTERNET SHUTDOWNS: Every time something goes wrong in the country, the gut reaction of the authorities is to shut down mobile phone and internet services. There is a lot of economic activity linked to these two vital services, and there are students who suffer. The government should think before taking such steps.

Nabi Bakhsh
Mastung

SPEED MANIACS: Reckless driving has become a norm, with an obvious spike in the number of road accidents. The speed maniacs flee the scene before anybody can note down the vehicle number plates. Reckless drivers overtake from the wrong side in utter disregard of traffic rules. They behave as if the roads are their private property. Traffic lights hold no value for them. The penalties imposed for reckless driving are too lenient to be effective. It s time to impose heavy penalties on all offenders, including prison terms.

Mohsin Ahmed Abbasi
Karachi

Published in Dawn, August 3rd, 2023