Taliban 2.O

There was a story last month on the US withdrawing from Afghanistan and takeover of the Taliban. It is still not clear whether the Taliban have changed for good or what future is there in store for the country and its people.

In an interview with your magazine, Pakistan’s former ambassador to Afghanistan, Syed Abrar Hussain, said that engaging with Taliban is a good idea, considering their approach will not be as conservative as it was two decades ago. It might help in bringing peace and stability in the country. He even went on to compare the situation in Afghanistan to the Vietnam war.

However, I don’t fully agree with that. Yes, the Taliban have changed their ways but there are still no laws for women. Instead, they have removed the Women Affairs Department from the government. If the Taliban are to remain in Afghanistan, they must ponder upon the rules they are laying for the country for it will directly or indirectly impact the entire world.

Taha Saleem,
Karachi, Pakistan

Appreciate the Women

Working women in Pakistan have faced and still are facing numerous problems. These problems are not confined to gender bias; they also include gender pay gap, work-life balance, harassment, etc. When women generate half of the country’s economy, why are they discouraged by gender discrimination. Every man should have to change their perspective and appreciate the parity of women in the workiplace with respect to all aspects i.e. learning ability, agility, creativity, problem-solving, leadership, negotiation, technology, etc. Also, women have to be given emancipation and empowerment through administrative, legislative, political, social and economic means which will lead to the nation’s prosperity.

Ziva David,
Alberta, Canada

New Tactic

This refers to the article ‘New Shenanigans Cooking’ by Imran Jan, carried in your September 2021 issue about India’s involvement in Afghanistan.

With Afghanistan as the centre of chaos in the region, India managed to keep the fire burning near Pakistan and away from its land to keep the attention away from Kashmir where India continues to commit massive injustices and atrocities and myriad human rights violations.

There are all the chances that India will extend a hand of feigned friendship to the new Taliban disposition in Afghanistan to outdo Pakistan. Only time will tell what the Indians have in mind. Is this their new tactic?

Hafsa Saad,
Islamabad, Pakistan

Mental Awareness

The rate of suicides is rising at an alarming pace, especially among youngsters. Tired from everyday pressures of studies, domestic and financial issues, they find relief in suicide, thinking it’s the only way to escape. What they fail to understand is that life brings challenges and hardships and you need to figure out a way to deal with them. The mental pressure exists as well; people should talk to their loved ones about what they are feeling as it might help them in clearing their perspectives.

Unfortunately, any illness related to the brain is considered mental in our society. As a result, we don’t get proper counselling. The government needs to create awareness about mental health and take appropriate measures for the wellbeing of people. Because just as your body needs rest, your mental health is important too. After all, it’s your mind that does all the working.

Ayaz Hamza,
Istanbul, Turkey

Online Learning

This is with reference to the article ‘Chirp of Chalk’ written by Sana Mohsin Babbar about the increasing demand for online education in times of the Covid-19 pandemic.

It’s been almost two years that the students are not going to school and thus, have forgotten the use of chalk and blackboard. Due to the lockdown, almost all education institutions have moved to online learning saving the world from illiteracy. But with the rise of e-learning, the quality of education plus notions of students have been jeopardized.

Remember, everything has pros and cons. While virtual learning brings novelty and creativity to technology, it can also create mental health issues but there are ample solutions to cope with that. You just have to be patient in dealing with it.

Kiran Ahmed,
Karachi, Pakistan

Public Safety

There have been numerous cases in the past two to three years about road accidents in India. People tend to forget that reckless driving can harm one’s self as well as others. Speeding vehicles are the most common cause of road accidents. So many accidents take place every day on the city roads.

In addition, reckless driving can cause significant property damage. Traffic rules must be observed and under-aged drivers and those driving without a licence should be punished. This is a serious issue of public safety and must be properly addressed.

Druv Mehta,
New Delhi, India

Crucial Times

This is with reference to the article ‘Messiahs or Murderers’ written by Syeda Rida-e-Zehra about whether doctors are saviours or responsible for risking lives.

While doctors serve the entire nation during these tough times of Covid-19 and have become the heroes of the world, many times they are the cause of risking one’s lives due to their negligence. There have been many incidents where doctors’ negligence cost people their lives.

Doctors indeed play a crucial role in the creation of a healthy society. Therefore concerned bodies should look out for the doctors and distribute their workload to ensure work-life balance and to avoid any kind of negligence.

Laiba Dawood,
Hyderabad, Pakistan