AS fellow citizens we need to do everything within our power for the internally-displaced people. Although a lot is being done these days for the relief of these people --who are homeless in their homeland -- there's still a lot of potential to do more.

A package of Rs8 billion has been announced by the government as a relief fund but what's needed most is the participation of people like us in such activities.

In the past as well, the people of Pakistan had magnificently risen together against every calamity to help their brothers. Be it earthquakes or floods, every time the general public and we students, in particular, have tried our best to be with the people in distress.

Even now, many NGOs are working in collaboration with educational institutions for the cause of IDPs. It would be unjust to name a few and leave out the others, but the important point here is the involvement of the youth and students in particular in the relief programme.

In fact, I would like to take this opportunity and applaud the spirit of all those volunteers who are out collecting donations for our unfortunate brothers.

The Punjab chief minister has issued a directive to all institutions to start in-house fundraising campaigns. This should be done in a fair and just manner.

Thus student bodies should be set up, if possible, to start fundraising campaigns, supervised by the staff or the administration of the respective institutions. The advantage of such student bodies is that a few enthusiastic youngsters can show the way to all others and this is the perfect training ground for the skill of 'self-help'.

Most importantly, what we need to understand is that this calamity is greater than any other natural or manmade calamity our country has faced to date. Never before have 2.5 million people been forced to migrate within their own country. Therefore, the problems the government is going to face in the near future in the rehabilitation process will be unseen as well.

The fund-raising thus needs to be not a one-off, instead, it has to be one consistent and constant process, where students and youth are made to acknowledge the importance of their funding and the constant inflow of money and goods that are needed.

Institutions should devise a plan as to how this fundraising could be transformed into a permanent programme. I request educational departments to help in this regard as well.

The importance of this process is not only that it will help in supplementing the efforts of our government, but very importantly it's extremely necessary for our youth which at this point of time can be very disillusioned.

This will certainly instill belief and faith in our abilities and will serve as a uniting factor, which is the need of the hour.

I request the administrations of all institutions and all the students to rise to the occasion and use their skills to the maximum. We must unite and help each other and the government in rehabilitating our brothers in distress, and we need to help honestly.

MAHRUKH OSMANY

Lahore

(II)

IT is evident that the Taliban in Swat and other tribal areas are occupation forces, sponsored by our enemies, and the Army is at war to free our territories from the hands of these infiltrators.

It is futile to debate as to who brought them inside Pakistan and why. The intentions of these occupation forces got fully exposed, thanks to the failure of the so called peace agreement between the government and TNSP.

Now majority of Pakistanis -- civil society, media and people from all walks of life along with the leaders of all major political parties -- have unanimously agreed on effective military operations to free all occupied territories of Pakistan and fully support the courageous response of our brave armed forces.

We will win this war only if all public support is extended to the Army by appreciating their sacrifices, and the IDPs are very well taken care of, both mentally and physically. Fortunately enough the people of Pakistan, the media and the government have so far fared well in handling this situation.

On the other hand, some of the like-minded but dejected politicians -- like Imran Khan, Qazi Hussain Ahmed and other leaders of Jamaat-i-Islami -- with absolutely no representation in the parliament have started a propaganda campaign against the Army operations, demoralising and confusing people who have been displaced from Swat and are now living in camps.

This propaganda campaign is actually adversely effecting the Army's operations in the occupied territories. The Army is in dire need of local support to clear these areas of these elements.

It is now essential that the government must stop this propaganda campaign immediately and go allout to counter this campaign with the help of the media and civil society, before it is too late.

Also an immediate and effective media campaign should be be launched in order to acknowledge the services and sacrifices of our Army, engaged in one of the most intensive and deadliest wars, in the recent history of Pakistan against no one, but the occupation forces.

KAMRAN AZMI

Islamabad

(III)

COMMENTING on the absence of national media campaign against terrorism in our country, the latest issue of Time Magazine, among others, also quotes Barrister Aitzaz Ahsan as saying “What we need is a national change in our consciousness. The nation needs to be bombarded with what the Taliban represent.”

It further says that Mr Ahsan wants to see videos of Taliban atrocities every night. Only then will people understand and act against extremism. The whole nation needs to see what is happening. Not just the flogging by the Taliban but the beheadings, digging of the graves of the saints, the burning of our girls schools, etc.

Moreover, he says, the Jamaat-i-islami decries any military operation against the terrorists and marauders who have killed innocent men and women, destroyed houses and girls schools and have made the lives of ordinary people miserable.

All this made more than a million people to flee Swat leaving their home and hearth. The Jamaat supports the Taliban because they are of the same ilk. Pro-Taliban sections of the media had the truth when the MMA was in power (2003-2005).

Ever since Zia's times the media in our country has remained by and large under the influence of religious right parties. Accordingly it has communicated with the masses in conformity with their ideological perceptions and political interests.

A great mass of people were kept ignorant of the tyranny perpetrated by MMA during its three-year rule in power. On almost all issues of public interest, the cleric of Lal Masjid, Sufi Mohammad of TTP and political leadership of religious right remain on the same wave length.

On top of their agenda are school girls and women, denying them the right to life and liberty.

They entertain similar outlook on culture and art. In Upper Dir and Lower Dir the Jamaat used to run a good number of FM radio channels preaching jihad, and torching of VCRs, TVs and CDs had become a regular sport. They also share the same vision about art and culture. The students of Islami Jamiat-i-Talaba objected to the use of music by the students of Visual Arts in Karachi University and wrecked the furniture and other material demanding closure of the department.

It is not difficult to see the alliance of religious right parties with the terrorists. They have the same mindset to impose their own brand of Islam on others. It is time people were freed from their clutches.

AHMED Razee SIDDIQUI

Via email

(IV)

THIS is apropos of the great success achieved by the Sri Lankan army over Tamil Tigers who captured one-third of the country for 26 years now.

Pakistan has to adopt the same policy and prolong the war till the last militant is dead if it has to win the war.

I hope our army has learned the lesson from this victory.

DR FAREEHA KHANUM

Mardan