PLASTIC BAGS: Despite a province-wide ban on plastic shopping bags, their use and sale continue unabated across Sindh. The ban, imposed with the aim of reducing environmental pollution and drain blockages, remains unimplemented, with plastic bags still being used openly at groceries and shops. At some places, Sindh Environmental Protection Agency (Sepa) teams have been seen visiting markets, issuing notices, and spreading awareness, but progress is seriously slow because of no follow-ups. The government needs to do better.

Muhammad Bakhtiyar
Turbat

REDUNDANT DEGREES: Many students in Pakistan graduate with academic qualifications that do not align with the needs of the job market. As such, their degrees often fail to provide them with practical, technical and digital skills essential for success. Unfortunately, this disconnect is a significant factor in high unemployment rates among fresh gra-duates. To ensure graduates adjust in the job market after earning their degrees, universities and colleges must work directly with industry leaders to design curricula that are relevant and updated. Academic programmes should incorporate more internships and hands-on projects, giving students the real-world experience.

Nuzhat Seema
Karachi

BAN THE RITUALS: This is with reference to the letter ‘Commercialisation of spiritualism’ (Aug 9), which, among other things, described with great accuracy how spiritualism is being destroyed by blatant commercialisation. The fact is that all such rituals need to be banned.

Imtiaz Akhter
Rawalpindi

DIGITAL SHUTDOWN: Recently, a blanket internet shutdown affected life in and around Hub. Nobody explained what happened. Was there a cyber-attack or data breach? Was some government restriction the reason? Such disruptions continue to negatively affect daily life, especially academics and businesses.

Wadeema Hashim
Hub

Published in Dawn, August 20th, 2025