Relevant Story

Your cover story on the US withdrawing their armed forces from Afghanistan and leaving the country to its own devices was very pertinent. Titled ‘Disaster in the Making’, it highlighted the situation the country would be facing at the hands of the Taliban. That is what is happening now as Taliban takeover has become a reality for Afghanistan.
One must ponder on former Pakistan foreign minister Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri’s views he shared with your magazine. He emphasised on Pakistan involving China’s, Iran’s and Afghanistan’s immediate northern neighbours to bring peace to the region as the format of Troika Plus involving the United States, Russia, China and Pakistan could prove very useful.
Leading personalities like Lt. Gen. Talat Masood (Retd), American scholar Christine Fair and member of the US Democratic Party Sabria Chowdhury Balland also shared their views as part of the magazine’s cover story emphasising the uncertain future of Afghanistan and the fate of the Afghan people. It was certainly timely coverage – and so relevant.
Wasim Abid,
Karachi, Pakistan

Turkey’s Forest Fires

Forest fires in Turkey caused a lot of destruction. The fires broke out in the forests but soon escalated to residential areas, creating havoc among the people. The fire continued for days, spreading to up to 63 locations. Besides Turkey, forest fires have been occurring in Greece as well.

Time and again Turkey has requested help from other countries to stop the forest fires that have killed thousands of animals, destroyed pine forests and ravaged hundreds of homes as planes, helicopters and drones were needed for splashing water from the top but now the situation is under control.

No one knows how the fires broke out in the forests; sources say that it was due to climate change that was making the weather hotter and dryer. Still, the Turkish government should make the forest department watch out for more forest fires in dry weather and the country should be able to fight them.

Denis Kaya,
Istanbul, Turkey

Domestic Violence

This refers to the article ‘Gendered Violence’ by Shahrukh Mehboob, carried in your August 2021 issue about gender equality and equal rights for all humans. The issue is a global one now but still some violence in the world is highly gendered such as domestic violence. A country like Pakistan, being the fifth most populous country in the world, ranks at 151st out of 153 countries in the Global Gender Gap Index. Furthermore, only 46 percent of Pakistani women are literate, compared to 71 percent of men. This is insane.

Though there has been legislation against domestic violence in Pakistan, the issue still prevails as many term it as a ‘private or personal affair’. Violence can never be personal. Period!

Sameer Aftab,
Islamabad, Pakistan

All Ages

While the significance of the printed word cannot be ignored, it is a fact that technology is fast taking over and the audience of print publications is reducing. It is worth a thought, however, that while the younger age brackets are being targeted by social media, their content seems to be overly non-serious, with the result that people of higher ages, such as 30 and above, are not paying much attention to such content.

Those who use social media channels to propagate their message must consider all age groups in devising and targeting their content.

Marissa Nimol,
Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Emerging Economy

This is with reference to the article ‘Positive Indicators’ written by Adil Nakhoda about the emerging economy as the Covid-19 pandemic has provided an opportunity to curtail the current account deficit.

Currently, Pakistan is in the third-highest position in the world in terms of returning to pre-pandemic life. The position speaks volumes for the handling of the pandemic by the Pakistan government and preventing the economy from further tanking into chaos at a time when it was recovering from the balance of payment crisis.

Although indicators have turned positive, the economic policymakers must focus on boosting the nation’s export capabilities as such measures can ensure economic stability.

Sahra Sayyad,
Karachi, Pakistan

Freedom of Choice

This is with reference to the article ‘My Body My Life’ by Akhtar Naveed Syed about China’s recent three-child policy designated by the leaders in late May of 2021. The law was recently passed, considering the decreased fertility rate of women in China.

Reading the article, one must question whether women in China have the freedom to decide what to do in their lives or not. With the right to education being curtailed and family size being out of their control, will there not be dissent?

Leslie Brook,
New York, U.S.

TikTok Addiction

TikTok is a massively popular app in which users create and share videos. Music and funny videos are the reasons for its popularity. It was launched in 2016 and is one of the most used apps in the world. It has more than 600 million followers globally with 125 million followers in India alone.

TikTok addiction has atrociously affected the youngsters. They are busy making videos on TikTok every time and have lost interest in their studies. Though they are making money out of it, what about their education? Is it not necessary for them to educate themselves?

Moreover, most of the users use guns and do other dangerous things to make videos for the sake of increased likes and comments and this is quite unsettling.

Probably that’s one of the reasons why TikTok has been banned in India.

Ishaan Wasti,
New Delhi, India