News

Pakistan is dealing with a scorching summer of high temperatures accompanied by plenty of humidity, both of which make the weather unbearable. The effect of the weather is only being exacerbated by loadshedding. Loadshedding takes place in order to either manage the load — so as to save the system from tripping — or as a punishment for areas involved in electricity theft or the nonpayment of bills, in which case not only the electricity thieves but also those who pay their electricity bills regularly suffer. Recently, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister and PTI workers have taken the law into their own hands and are forcibly restoring power supply to affected areas, thus challenging the writ of the state and endangering the entire electricity supply system of Pakistan. Such irresponsible acts aimed at boosting one’s popularity are jeopardizing national assets and inviting extreme measures from the state. The saner elements in the party should now act and take control of affairs in KP as the party is already in trouble due to the May 9 incident.

Malik ul Quddoos

Karachi

ISLAMABAD: In a twist of events, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan has announced that he has not accepted the resignation of Omar Ayub on the direction of party founder chairman and directed him to continue as the party’s Secretary General (SG).

PTI’s Parliamentary Party and Core Committee through unanimous resolutions had recently recommended to Imran Khan and Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan not to accept Omar Ayub’s resignation, who is also the leader of opposition in the National Assembly.

“Omar Ayub Khan resigned as PTI Secretary General on June 27, 2024. However, the parliamentary party as well as core committee through separate resolutions reposed trust in him and commended his services and requested him to continue as PTI secretary general,” says a notification issued by Gohar.

Gohar said in the notification that Imran Khan appreciated his services and acknowledged his sacrifices for the party. Accordingly, on the instructions of PTI founding chairman, the resignation of Omar Ayub Khan is not accepted. He shall continue as secretary general, and we all hope the party will benefit from his experience and leadership.

This letter refers to the editorial ‘State of terror’ (July 5, 2024). The nation has been living in constant fear for a very long time. Fear of conventional war with India has always been there since Pakistan was born. The unending race to amass war machinery and weapons has continued in order to ‘prepare’ for the threat. Then came the Russian invasion of Afghanistan and we started to reinforce our defences against the aggressor reaching and, in doing so, got ourselves engulfed in another country’s war.

Then came a wave of terrorism in which ordinary Pakistanis became targets on a more micro level with our streets, neighbourhoods and infrastructure under constant threat of violence and bomb blasts. This slippery slope continues, unfortunately, as some states have now adopted the use of terrorism as a state tool to carry out their subversive activities. The need is for someone to collect all states on a UN forum, lay the evidence of what they have done before them and call a spade a spade. Perhaps this would instil some sense in the people who can make a difference in their countries.

Anas A Khan

Edmonton

Canada

With this letter, I would like to draw the attention of the concerned authorities to the delay in the disbursement of pensions to the retired employees of the University of Karachi. Timely pension payments are crucial for the well-being and financial stability of our retired colleagues, who have dedicated many years of service to the university. The delay in receiving their pensions has caused considerable distress and financial hardship, affecting their ability to meet daily expenses and medical needs.

It is imperative that the university addresses this issue promptly to ensure that our retired employees receive their rightful dues without further delay. I also request the federal and provincial governments to investigate the cause of the delay in pension payments, expedite the process to clear any pending payments at the earliest, and implement measures to prevent such delays in the future.

Dr Intikhab Ulfat

Karachi