MINIMUM WAGE WOES: Even though federal and provincial governments continue to set minimum monthly wage for employees every year, many institutions, particularly private schools, pay salaries far below the designated threshold. In Turbat, highly qualified private school teachers typically earn between Rs15,000 and Rs20,000, while others are paid even less. A significant portion of this income is spent on petrol expenses, leaving little or nothing for basic cost of living. Paying employees less than the government-prescribed minimum wage is unlawful. The government should address this issue and ensure that private institutions pay fair and decent salaries instead of merely offering pocket money.

Aurangzeb Nadir
Turbat

YOUNG SMOKERS: Young people should be kept away from any kind of tobacco use. However, our youngsters are not just smoking cigarettes; they are also using alternative products, such as e-cigarettes, vapes and nicotine pouches. Regulations prohibiting the sale of any cigarette to minors do exist, but their implementation is either weak or missing. When it comes to alternative tobacco products, there is no official policy that prohibits its sale or use. The government should implement anti-smoking regulations, raise awareness among youngsters, and formulate policies regarding the use of alternative tobacco products. Young people under no circumstances should be allowed to use tobacco in any form.

Syed Jafar Mehdi
Islamabad

TAX COLLECTION: This refers to the editorial ‘Unfair tax system’ (July 31), which raised questions regarding the performance of the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) in terms of collecting Rs1.9 trillion in four years through electricity bills. If things have come to this point, then why should we not consider shutting down the FBR? What is the point in wasting billions of rupees on running a department that has terribly failed to justify its core purpose; taxation and bringing the untaxed into the tax net?

Muhammad Jawad Awan
Peshawar

Published in Dawn, August 15th, 2026