FOOTPATH ENCROACHMENT: The menace of encroachment on footpaths in Saddar, specifically to the side of Gharhyalli Building onwards till the Regal Chowk-Abdullah Haroon Road junction, is bothersome. The shopkeepers have encroached upon the footpaths permanently. They have built moveable showcases that are drawn outside with hardly any space left for pedestrians during the day. Motorcycles and cars are parked adjacent to the footpath, forcing the people to walk on the road with shopping bags in their hands. Women and children are particularly troubled. It is high time the width of the footpaths was standardised by the relevant authorities, and the erring shopkeepers were brought to the book.

Iftekhar Ahmed
Karachi

COSTLY PILGRIMAGE: Every Muslim wishes to perform the holy pilgrimage at least once in one’s lifetime, but it seems as if for the people in Pakistan, the pilgrimage will remain a dream due to the soaring prices of tickets and hotels. The average cost of the pilgrimage for a Pakistani has crossed the million-rupee mark. People who save up for decades are completely unable to gather enough money for the pilgrimage now. This is a huge concern as many Muslims are deprived of an opportunity to fulfil this religious obligation due to the economic crisis that the country has been going through for a long time. The worse thing is that there is no immediate sign of recovery from the prevailing situation. With every passing day, the pricies are going higher and higher, and the dream of undertaking the journey looks even more distant than ever.

Safiullah Faisal
Sheikhupura

ROAD DESTRUCTION: Many wonder if the continued destruction in Karachi’s Defence Housing Authority (DHA) area can qualify to be comehow called ‘development’. The funds were not used for many years, but suddenly every agency seems to have woken up, leaving the everyday commuters quite frustrated.

Rajnee Vimla Rajkumar
Karachi

Published in Dawn, February 17th, 2024