AN ILLEGAL ACT: A few individuals were recently caught pilfering medicines from government hospitals in Lahore and selling them in the market. This egregious act has sparked outrage as the illegal activity compromised the wellbeing of patients who rely on government hospitals for medical care. However, it is essential to acknowledge the failures that destroy the system from within. The shortage of medicines in government hospitals is a longstanding issue, which has given rise to a black market that has flourished over the years. The authorities must address both the symptoms as well as the causes of this problem without any further delay.

Mubushar Ali Sulehria
Sialkot

TIT FOR TAT: This is with reference to the letter ‘Military actions’ (July 22). If terrorists can enter our homeland in the form of refugees, kill our innocent people, security personnel, and destroy our installations, why can we not do the same by launching an operation on their sa- nctuaries across the border to eradicate their roots? How long should we tolerate this bloodshed which makes them more daring by the day? We are already at war with them. Hence, there is no need to declare an operation. We must do what needs to be done to eradicate the menace.

Assad Shah
Rawalpindi

PREVALENT CRISIS: It is imperative to reflect upon the causes of the crisis that plagues almost all our institutions as well as various segments of society. Without doing that, it is practically imp- ossible to set things right. The pervasive polarisation in society, from top to bottom, is deep enough now to affect even ins- titutional frameworks. The national media, with its focus on arm-chair gossip in the name of commentary and analysis, is a culprit in this regard. Public trust in institutions is seriously lacking. People are actually surprised when something goes in their favour. The dice has been loaded against them so heavily and for so long that the people now prefer to focus on how they can bypass the system rather than making an effort to improve it.

Dr Zafar Iqbal Qureshi
Lahore

Published in Dawn, August 8th, 2024