ACTUAL CULPRITS: The ongoing operations against drug and gutka sellers across the country are a positive step and deserve appreciation. However, it will not solve the problem until the manufacturers and suppliers are apprehended. While small vendors and shopkeepers face action, gutka factories and main suppliers are rarely touched. We are hitting the bottom of the chain, while the top remains safe. The authorities should shift focus from small vendors and street-level users to the actual suppliers and manufacturers. Drug operations must also be supported by rehabilitation centres for addicts, and gutka operations must be backed by health awareness campaigns.

Bushra Naeem
Karachi

IMMUNITY FOR BANKS: A brief has been submitted before the National Assembly Standing Committee on Finance to amend the Financial Institutions (Recovery of Finances) Ordinance, 2001. The proposed measures to collect loan default amounts are rather harsh, espe- cially because they aim at providing relief to the banks and their officials. The committee should not add the clause granting immunity to financial institutions.

Zafar Hasan Khan
Karachi

LABORATORY ASSISTANTS’ woes: Laboratory assistants working in government colleges across Sindh play an important role in supporting science education. They efficiently manage laboratory equipment, handle chemicals safely, prepare practical experiments, and assist teachers and students during laboratory sessions. Despite these important responsibilities, laboratory assistants are overlooked in matters of promotion. They frequently remain stuck in BPS-7 for years without any clear promotion pathway. The Sindh government and the provincial education department should review the existing policies, and introduce a fair promotion structure for laboratory assistants. They should be given equal opportunities for career progression to higher grades like all other employees in the education sector.

Shahid Ali Rajper
Naushahro Feroz

Published in Dawn, May 13th, 2026