WHILE agreeing with your editorial ‘Stem the uncertainty’ (Jan 17), I feel many people in a knee-jerk reaction to the long march of Dr Tahirul Qadri ignore the bigger picture.

Industries are shutting down, 20 million youths cannot acquire skills or get jobs, and the poor have no redress, while fairness or justice is nonexistent in society. So, in these circumstances, if someone took the lead, gave a voice to the poor and made a peaceful protest, wasn’t he justified?

Dr Tahirul Qadri’s call to Pakistanis to rise now or never was so apt and timely. If our people will not listen and leaders continue to mock Dr Qadri, the next series of demonstrations are not likely to be so peaceful or civilised.

Moreover, it is so ironic that when the Supreme Court issued orders for arresting the prime minister in a corruption case, instead of embarrassment and compliance, his party engages in riots and protests.

This is certainly symbolic of the abyss of moral degradation we have fallen into. Similarly, instead of appreciating and lauding the sacrifices of the marchers, as an honourable and civilised nation would have, we ridiculed their sufferings and steadfastness.

JAVED S. AHMAD     Lahore

Kaira’s statement

THE recent events in the country compelled me to write about Qamar Zaman Kaira’s remarks (Jan 16) wherein he asked Dr Tahirul Qadri to send home the women and children in his long march and sit-in due to adverse weather conditions in Islamabad.

It makes me wonder as to where Mr Kaira’s empathy was when the women and children of Quetta spent four days in a sit-in along with the coffins of their martyred near and dear ones in minus 10 degrees Celsius temperature. Dare we accuse the ruling party of double standards?

MASOOMA ALIBHAI Karachi

Stock exchange’s plunge

THIS is with reference to your editorial ‘Stem the uncertainty’ (Jan 17). It is indeed very surprising that even after five years of continuous democracy in the country, share prices have plunged so sharply after the apex court ordered the arrest of the country’s prime minister.

Is Pakistan’s economic situation so fragile that a perfectly legal action sends the stock exchange into a tailspin? There are, after all, many ruling party members left in the National Assembly who would make equally good prime ministers.

Perhaps our experts can explain why the stock exchange index plunged more than 500 points when news broke out that the prime minister’s arrest had been ordered.

SHAKIR LAKHANI     Karachi