PLASTIC CONSUMPTION: Inter-national studies have revealed that humans ingest thousands of microplastic particles every year through water and food consumption. Plastic pollution is not only a human health crisis, but also an environmental catastrophe. The United Nations Environment Programme has reported that plastic weighing over 400 million tonnes is produced annually worldwide, with a significant portion ending up in oceans where it kills marine life and enters the human food chain. Pakistan itself generates thousands of tonnes of plastic waste daily, much of which is not properly recycled. In the past, people relied on steel, glass and clay utensils. Today’s convenience culture has replaced durability with disposability, but this has happened at a seriously devastating cost.

Mehr-ul-Nisa Allah Bakhsh
Turbat

HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE: This is with reference to the editorial ‘The year ahead’ (Jan 1). Looking back at the chequered history, Pakistan hardly ever had the right person at the top, mainly due to the incompetence of the civil, political class. Extra-political forces had to step in and invariably tried to ‘manage’ every problem, instead of ‘solving’ it.

Abid Mahmud Ansari
Islamabad

STRATEGIC GAINS: The post-Cold War phase of unquestioned American dominance is apparently giving way to a more dispersed, multipolar arrangement. In this environment, countries having stable relations with their neighbours are bound to be better off than the rest. For Pakistan, improving relations with neighbouring states is an economic and strategic necessity. A multipolar world offers Pakistan opportunities to diversify partnerships and reduce overdependence on any single bloc. A pragmatic foreign policy, supported by stronger regional ties, export diversification, improved industrial capacity and governance reform, is needed. The world order may still be in a flux, but countries that adapt early are more likely to secure long-term economic and strategic gains.

Zeeshan Soomro
Larkana

Published in Dawn, March 13th, 2026