ACCOUNT BALANCE: Over the last few months, commercial banks have been issuing transaction reports through text messages or emails without stating the updated position of the account. As a result, one has to log in via the relevant mobile app to check out the account balance. This is a hassle becasue of internet disruption either at the bank’s end or at the end of the user. The State Bank of Pakistan should direct all the banks to revert to the previous practice of intimating the transaction and updated account statement instantly through both text messages and emails.

Azhar Hussain Shamim
Lahore

FOREST GOVERNANCE: Pakistan suffers badly due to its declining forest cover. Ideally, 25 per cent of the land in a country should be covered by forests. However, in Pakistan, only 4.5pc of the land is covered by forests. The forest cover in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) is 15.6pc, followed by Sindh 4.5pc, Punjab 2.7pc and Balochistan 2.1pc. There is a need to improve forest management in Sindh and other provinces. The provincial departments must ensure an effective and accountable implementation of the relevant policies. They must adopt extraordinary forest management practices for a sustainable future.

Kalsoom Abro
Islamabad

NOSTALGIA: I nostalgically recall the iconic advertisements that I used to watch on television during my younger days. These commercial advertisements were not just selling products, they connected with the audience. As such, they treated us as intelligent consumers, not merely mindless viewers. Today’s advertisements lack substance, relying on shallow choreography with no charm or emotional hooks. There is no doubt that Pakistan’s advertising industry has immense potential, but that is being squandered by those following fleeting trends. Brands should create advertisements that make us laugh, cry and remember. They should sell feelings, moments and stories; not just products.

Fatima Ansari
Karachi

Published in Dawn, November 18th, 2024