VEHICLE FITNESS: The Punjab government’s initiative to enforce the Vehicle Inspection and Certification System (VICS) is commendable. However, the 30-day deadline for vehicle fitness certificates in Lahore is impossible to manage. Lahore has roughly 8.2 million registered vehicles. Even if we assume only 2-3 million are legally bound to get immediate certification after exemptions, the existing 16 inspection centres cannot handle the rush. The relevant department should first clarify exactly how many vehicles fall under the immediate certification mandate. Second, the deadline must be extended by 90 days. Finally, a phased, age-based appointment system should be introduced alongside a rapid expansion of vehicle inspection lanes.
Syed Ali Haider
Lahore
ULTRACREPIDARIANS: Recently, a new word was added to my vocabulary: ultracrepidarian. Since the word is not included in the fourth edition of the Oxford Dictionary (1989) which is used as a reference in our home, I looked it up on Google. According to the search results, ultra-crepidarians are persons who express opinions, give advice, or pass judgment on subjects they know nothing about or that lie outside their area of expertise. It struck me that we encounter ultracrepidarians nearly every day on social and print media. Practically speaking, every second person appearing on various talk shows happens to be an ultracrepidarian.
Moin Mohajir
Karachi
NOISE POLLUTION: While watching BBC recently, I came across a story about a non-governmental organisation (NGO) set up in India by an environmentalist. It made me realise that we often discuss air pollution, but rarely talk about the harmful effects of excessive noise. The story also mentioned that the environmentalist had faced threats because of religious and ethnic sensitivities, but she continued her work as she believed that noise pollution is not about religion; it is about health. This is an important message. Noise pollution is a serious environmental and health issue.
Wajeeha Baqir
Lahore
Published in Dawn, October 30th, 2026
