LIBRARY CRISIS: Quetta, the capital of Balochistan, has only two public libraries with a seating capacity of less than a thousand students. During my recent stay in the city, I went to study at the Quaid-i-Azam Library. Early in the morning, I saw hundreds of students waiting for the library to open, and within 30 minutes, all the seats were filled. As a result, many students are forced to rely on private libraries that charge very high fee. Thousands of students come to Quetta for educational purposes, but library facilities, unfortunately, remain extremely limited. The government should take notice of the issue, and improve the public library system in the provincial capital.

Younus Baloch
Turbat

CULTURE OF ENTITLEMENT: One cannot escape the spectacle of official vehicles violating traffic norms with ostentatious recklessness. These luxury vehicles, funded entirely by taxpayers’ money, appear mysterious and intimidating due to darkened windows. More often than not, these cars are driven by chauffeurs, while the officials themselves are not even there. They bully fellow citizens into giving way, honk aggressively, and treat the public as if they are subservient to them. This culture of entitlement is deeply troubling. Respect for traffic laws is not a matter of privilege, but a civic duty. Senior officials must take notice, and issue clear instructions that official vehicles are not symbols of power, but actual instruments of service.

Zishan Ahmad Siddiqi
Islamabad

ROBUST REFORMS: The government’s execution of the structural adjustment programme has been robust and laudable. Notable progress has been achieved in several key areas crucial for long-term governance. Furthermore, Pakistan is also moving forward with reforms under the resilience and sustainability facility (RSF), which integrates climate considerations into fiscal planning.

This demonstrates policy maturity, moving beyond mere financial stabili- sation to incorporating systemic resilience.

Muhammad Dawood Ahmad
Lahore

Published in Dawn, November 1st, 2025