POLITICAL GIFTS: At a recent political rally, the Punjab chief minister announced the introduction of government-procured electric buses, and called it a gift to the people. This raises serious constitutional and ethical concerns under Pakistan’s electoral laws. Section 233 of the Elections Act, 2017, explicitly prohibits executive public office holders from misusing state machinery, public funds or government resources to influence voters or run partisan political campaigns. Deploying provincial assets funded by taxpayers as political ‘gifts’ during political rallies undermines the principle of neutrality and fair play. Such actions directly compromise the integrity of public office and breach the spirit of electoral laws.
Zaid Ahmed
Lahore
ILLEGAL DUMPING GROUND: The area right next to the police station near the Bolan Medical Complex (BMC) Hospital at Golimar Chowk has become an illegal dumping ground, causing a serious threat to public health. Waste material and the remains of dead animals are being dumped at the junction as a matter of routine. This area is close to one of the busiest roads used by thousands of students, patients and people every day. Right next to this place stand a lot of vendors selling fruits and vegetables. The houseflies that sit and breed on the garbage settle on these fruits and vegetables, and spread diseases. The relevant authorities should clean the site and prevent further dumping before this negligence leads to serious health crises.
Zar Bibi Jalal Marri
Quetta
LEARNING ARABIC: Muslims around the world recite the holy scriptures with devotion, but hardly few try to learn the Arabic language to fully understand the divine message. We do not encourage our children to learn Arabic so they may understand what our religion says. Learning Arabic has become easy due to technological advancements. There are several learning apps, online courses and video channels — available in Urdu — through which we can learn Arabic.
Muhammad Nadeem Dahar
Sukkur
Published in Dawn, August 10th, 2026
