OFFICIAL POLICY: Pakistan seems to be trying to tackle the Taliban issue without any concrete policy in place. There is a popular opinion that India is behind the insurgency, and if that is true, it is even more worrying that we do not have any long-term policy in this critical regard.

Mairaj Yousif Mirani
Larkana

E-WALLETS: Going digital means doing just about everything online. The Balochistan Public Service Commission (BPSC) has introduced an online application system, but the aspirants are required to visit the treasury office to get the fee challan verified and then go to the relevant bank to deposit the amount. This is hardly being digital.

Rashid Hussain
Sohbat Pur

SALARY WOES: There are many government teachers who have been carrying out their duties for free. I have been ‘on job’ for months without getting a single penny in the name of salary. I have been spending Rs20,000 on my commute every month because the school I am posted at is 45km away from my place. The relevant office should expedite the matter.

Name withheld on request
Dadu

CORRUPT NEXUS: Patients visiting the People’s University of Medical and Health Sciences for Women, Nawabshah, are forced to buy medicines and get pathological tests done on their own. Several medical stores and laboratories have formed a nexus with the hospital administration in this regard. The hospital receives significant funds every year, but corruption leaves little for the masses.

Irfan Zardari
Nawabshah

DRUG ADDICTION: Mashkay in Balo-chistan’s Awaran district is in the grip of drug lords, who carry out their nefarious activities without anyone having the muscle to object to it. Resultantly, the number of drug addicts in the area is increasing alarmingly. The addicts are seen across the city, making life difficult for students who pass them by. The authorities concerned should take action against drug peddlers.

Naimat Dad
Awaran

Published in Dawn, January 4th, 2023