A POSITIVE TREND: As a regular visitor to tea stalls close to a public library in Lahore, I have observed a positive trend among Pakistan’s young: a growing preference for tea with less sugar and stronger tea leaves. One frequently gets to hear the shout of “cheeni kamm, patti Taiz”. This shift, though small, has meaningful implications for public health and the economy. Pakistan has the third-highest number of diabetes cases globally, with over 33 million affected individuals. Reducing sugar intake is a simple and effective way to address the health crisis. Economically, this shift could ease pressure on demand, and stabilise the prices.

Wajahat Jadoon
Lahore

VVIP MOVEMENT: The government should arrange helicopters for VVIP movement instead of blocking highways in the name of security. This will allow people to move around freely, especially those who have some emergency. The government should stop treating the public as a herd of sheep. It must find alternatives to provide protocol to whoever it wants to.

Assad Shah
Rawalpindi

BLACK LUNG DISEASE: The black lung disease, which is also known as coal workers’ pneumoconiosis (CWP), has an alarming effect on thousands of people worldwide. This preventable disease is common in Pakistan, too. According to the Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, more than a thousand coal miners are diagnosed with the disease every year in Pakistan. Thousands of coal miners have lost their lives, and many more are suffering from its effects. The issue requires immediate attention.

Nida Azeem
Pidrak, Balochistan

HIT AND RUN: This is with reference to the report “Judge’s daughter acquitted in hit-and-run case in Islamabad” (Feb 26). There were two witnesses who had seen the individual fleeing from her father’s official vehicle which she was driving when she ran over two people in 2022. I wonder whatever happened to their testimony.

Imran Sheikh
Karachi

Published in Dawn, March 7th, 2025