EXAM CENTRES: Thousands of educated individuals from Kech, Panjgur, Gwadar, Washuk and nearby districts to appear in competitive examination for government jobs every year for which they have to travel all the way to Quetta. This long, exhausting journey places a heavy financial burden on candidates, particularly on females and those from low-income backgrounds. As a result, many deserving applicants either miss their examination or decide not to apply at all. The government and the Balochistan Public Service Commission should actively consider establishing a perma- nent examination centre in Turbat.
Maheen Ali Akbar
Absor
POWER ABUSE: This is with reference to the report “PPP demands Mohsin Naqvi’s resignation for endorsing ‘hybrid system’, new provinces” (Aug 2). Democracy, Constitution and provincial autonomy are terms that are useful and relevant — even sacred — but only so long as they are functional and serve the country and its citizens’ needs. They become irrelevant the minute they become powerful tools in the hands of unscrupulous politicians and administrators who use and abuse them to their benefit and liking. It is nothing but national lethargy that prevents the masses from playing an active role in somehow stopping the rot.
S.R.H. Hashmi
Karachi
COST OF ELECTRICITY: While the people have to slash household budgets to keep the lights on, the government remains legally bound to contracts that guarantee dollar-indexed returns to independent power producers (IPPs) operating at a fraction of their installed capacity. This structural flaw is bleeding the economy dry and pushing the middle class below the poverty line. Piecemeal subsidies are no longer a viable remedy. The government must immediately prioritise restructuring these sovereign contracts, review the capacity payment model, and transition towards competitive open-market electricity trading. Without structural overhauls, the circular debt will continue to paralyse the nation.
Syeda Narmeen Kamal
Karachi
Published in Dawn, August 13th, 2026
