THE MAIN CULPRIT: Many argue that political unrest is the main reason behind the country’s decline in fortunes. Although these arguments contain some elements of truth, one cannot undermine the importance of literacy in taking care of the undemocratic norms in society. In fact, illiterate people often make their decisions on the basis of ethnic as well as linguistic preferences rather than, say, ideological principles. Besides, they are also unable to hold their leaders accountable. Eventually, all this results in the spread of social evils, like corruption. As such, illiteracy is the major reason behind political instability as well as economic downturn.

Maria Zulfiqar Awan
Islamabad

LIBRARY TIMING: Libraries not only promote learning, but also ensure bright future of a nation. However, the staff of the Punjab Public Library, Lahore, appears least interested either in uplifting library standards or in facilitating the visitors. As such, the library staff has unilaterally set a new timing of the library from 8am to 8pm, which is not enough for the students to achieve their study targets. In the past, during the caretaker setup, the library timing had been revised from 8am to 1am, but that order is being flouted. The authorities should direct the library administration to facilitate the visitors.

Moula Bakhsh Tareen
Jhal Magsi

TELEVISION DRAMAS: Television dramas aired in the past used to be penned and produced by writers and directors who wanted to create content that mattered and was worth watching. They entertained as well as educated the viewers at the same time. Now the question is: do the present-day dramas even claim to be anywhere close to their predecessors? Sadly, the answer is in the negative. Today’s dramas present violence and gun culture, while promoting nothing good. They spread negativity in the minds of the young viewers. The authorities concerned must devise a policy in this regard.

Mumraiz Khan
Karachi

Published in Dawn, May 9th, 2024