TEACHERS AND STUDENTS: Private school teachers in Mianwali are compelled to work for salaries as low as Rs6,000. Their working hours are excessively long and they are burdened with unpaid work after school. Despite all this hassle, these teachers have no job security, financial stability or basic professional protection. Meanwhile, students of small private schools and rural areas around Mianwali are suffering as well. They are forced to sit in dark, overcrowded classrooms without proper ventilation or a healthy learning environment. The community has the right to demand a proper audit of institutions.

Muhammad Iqbal Awan
Mianwali

INDUS DOLPHIN: Precious fresh water species face danger of extinction. Indus River Dolphin has inhabited the Indus River for thousands of years. Today, their population has reached around a couple of thousand. The United Nations has included Indus Dolphin in the list of endangered species. Their population has been adversely affected by illegal fishing and entanglement of nets. Local people hunt them for their oil and meat. Indus Dolphin is protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species. We need to protect this asset.

Samoon Mirza
Karachi

FINANCIAL AWARENESS: There is a growing concern regarding the impact of behavioural and cognitive biases on investors’ decision-making. Investors in the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) often do not behave rationally. They are influenced by psychological and emotional factors, especially in uncertain and volatile market conditions. Biases, such as halo bias, farming bias, locus of control and overconfidence, significantly affect investor behaviour. Low financial literacy, weak regulatory framework, and information asymmetry further intensify these issues. As a result, many investors make irrational decisions, leading to financial losses and reduced trust in the markets. It is important for policymakers and institutions to improve financial awareness and strengthen regulations.

Ghazala Panhwar
Dadu

Published in Dawn, May 23rd, 2026