increasing road accidents

Increasing Road Accidents

Through the pages of your newspaper, I would like to draw attention to the increasing number of road accidents in our area. Road accidents have become a serious problem, causing injuries, deaths and suffering for many families.

Overspeeding, careless driving, dangerous overtaking and ignoring traffic rules are some of the major causes of these accidents. Poor road conditions and the lack of proper traffic control make the situation even worse.

The authorities should take strict action against those who violate traffic rules. Speed limits should be enforced, roads should be repaired, and traffic awareness campaigns should be organized in schools and communities.

Every life is precious. Drivers must understand that a few minutes saved through reckless driving are never worth risking a human life. I hope the concerned authorities will take immediate steps to reduce road accidents and make our roads safer

Similar Posts

  • Electricity Crisis: A Burden on the People

    Through the pages of your newspaper, I would like to draw attention to the serious electricity crisis in our area. Frequent and prolonged power outages have made daily life extremely difficut for students, workers shopkeepers and ordinary families. The lack of electricity affects education, businesses, hospitals and household activities. During hot weather the situation becomes even more difficult especially for children and elderly people. The authorities should take immediate steps to reduce unnecessary load-shedding, improve the power supply system and repair faulty infrastructure. A proper and fair schedule should also be followed so that people can plan their daily activities. Electricity is not a luxury it is an essential need in modern life. The concerned authorities must take effective action to provide a reliable electricity supply to the public

  • Remembering Maryam Mirzakhani

    When Maryam Mirzakhani approached complex mathematical problems, she did not rush to find immediate solutions. Instead, she unrolled large sheets of paper across her floor, sat down with markers, and drew intricate shapes, loops, and abstract surfaces. A ritual so visual that her young daughter described her rigorous research simply as painting. Behind those quiet, methodical sketches was one of the most brilliant mathematical minds of her generation. A scholar whose work reshaped our understanding of spatial geometry and dynamic systems forever. Born and raised in Tehran, Iran, Mirzakhani’s early childhood ambitions centered on literature rather than numbers. She devoured books and dreamed of writing novels. However, during her high school years, her focus shifted dramatically as she discovered the creative, puzzle-like nature of advanced mathematics. Her extraordinary talent surfaced on the world stage when she represented Iran at the International Mathematical Olympiad, winning gold medals in back-to-back years at ages 17 and 18, including a flawless top score in her second appearance. After completing her undergraduate studies at Sharif University of Technology in Tehran, Mirzakhani moved to the United States to pursue graduate research. At Harvard University, under the mentorship of Fields Medalist Curtis McMullen, she tackled complex problems in theoretical geometry that had baffled researchers for decades. She earned her PhD at age 27, producing a doctoral dissertation so groundbreaking that it yielded multiple papers published in top-tier mathematical journals. Her career progressed rapidly, leading to a full professorship at Stanford University by the age of 31. Mirzakhani’s work specialized in theoretical areas such as hyperbolic geometry, Riemann surfaces, and moduli spaces. She’s expert in abstract concepts that involve understanding the geometry and dynamic possibilities of complex curved surfaces. While her research was firmly rooted in pure mathematics, it held profound implications for theoretical physics, quantum field theory and cryptography. In 2014, at the age of 37, Mirzakhani achieved a historical milestone. She was awarded the Fields Medal, officially known as the International Medal for Outstanding Discoveries in Mathematics. Widely regarded as the equivalent of the Nobel Prize for mathematics, the honor is presented only once every four years to exceptional scholars under 40. Mirzakhani became both the first woman and the first Iranian ever to receive the award since its establishment in 1936. Despite national and international acclaim, Mirzakhani remained famously modest. She often referred to herself as a slow mathematician. She emphasized that true insight comes from patience, resilience, and a willingness to feel lost before finding a breakthrough. To her, mathematics was not about fast calculations, but about deep, enduring understanding. Tragically, her life was cut short. Diagnosed with breast cancer in 2013, she continued her scholarly pursuits while fighting the disease. By 2016, the cancer had spread to her liver and bones. On July 14, 2017, Mirzakhani passed away at Stanford Hospital at the age of 40. Her passing sparked widespread tributes across the globe, with academic institutions, world leaders, and fellow scientists celebrating her contributions. Today, her legacy endures as a testament to human curiosity. Her life is an enduring inspiration for women pursuing careers in science and mathematics worldwide.    

  • Ultrasound patch may help improve sleep without medication

    Scientists at the University of Texas in the United States have developed an advanced wearable patch that may help people enter REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep more quickly and remain in this stage for longer without surgery or medication. According to scientists, the device called NEUSLeeP combines electrodes that monitor brain activity in real time. Researchers say the technology can target deeper areas of the brain associated with REM sleep while simultaneously monitoring the brain’s response. Scientists tested the patch on 28 people and the findings were published in the scientific journal Nature Communications. According to the study, people using the device entered REM sleep an average of 43 minutes earlier and spent approximately 16 additional minutes in this stage. The effect was observed both in healthy individuals and in people experiencing sleep problems. Participants reported that the patch was comfortable to wear while only minimal side effects were observed during the study. Researchers also found that ultrasound treatment caused certain changes in the body associated with stress regulation. Among healthy participants, a significant increase in heart-rate variability was observed which is generally associated with the body’s ability to cope with and respond to stress. Changes were also observed in brain circuits involved in emotional processing during brain imaging. According to researchers, these findings are important because disruptions in REM sleep have been linked to mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Scientists emphasized that further large-scale research is needed before NEUSLeeP can be used as a standard treatment. Future studies are planned to determine whether the technology could also be effective for people experiencing chronic insomnia, depression and PTSD.

  • Faculty development: beyond classrooms 

    By Prof. Engr. Dr. Khuram Pervez Amber The persistent weaker linkage between industries and universities in Pakistan requires strategic interventions from all stakeholders. Pakistan cannot expect systemic industrial growth while its higher education institutions and industrial sectors operate in silos. Number of universities in Pakistan has dramatically increased over the past two decades. At current, there are nearly 280 universities in Pakistan which are producing thousands of graduates every year. But the concerns of industries remain valid that the graduates lack the necessary technical knowledge and skills which are required in the industries. These concerns of industries are particularly reported in disciplines such as engineering, computer science and the applied sciences, where employers frequently report a mismatch between academic preparation and industrial requirements. Although there are some valuable initiatives by the HEC, PEC, and NTC which include mandatory industrial internships of six to eight weeks for the engineering and technology students, the impact of such initiatives is limited due to multiple factors. Another initiative of HEC to strengthen university academia linkage is the establishment of the Office of Research, Innovation, and Commercialization (ORICs) in universities. However, the effectiveness of this initiative has not been successful at the desired level as in many universities, ORICs operate with limited staff and resources, while directors of ORICs are usually on additional charges. Expecting a small office alone to build industrial linkages for an entire university is unrealistic. Currently, out of nearly 260 universities, only 95 universities have established ORICs. In the recent ORIC ranking of HEC, only seven of 95 universities achieved the top category, i.e. “W” category. One of the major unexplored reasons behind this fragile linkage between industry and academia is the limited or no industrial exposure of university teachers. Most university teachers move directly from their bachelor’s degrees into master’s and PhD programs. Through this route, such individuals may become academically qualified teachers, but this route does not make them professionals having knowledge of industrial practices, industrial standards, and industry-oriented innovations. In many cases, a teacher teaches an industrial system which he/she has never experienced. This approach may clear theoretical concepts of students, but such students will certainly struggle when they would face real- life industrial problems after their induction in industry. So why do our university teachers require industrial exposure in their field of research? The answer is simple. A teacher with industrial exposure brings his industrial experience into the classrooms, laboratories, projects, and discussions on daily basis. Industrial experience of such teachers would not only improve the technical understanding of students about various industrial systems but also enhance students’ problem-solving skills. It would further help students to understand industrial expectations. So how could universities help their faculty members to get industrial experience? This could be achieved through implementation of structured industrial placement/professional development programs under ORICs for university teachers particularly working in engineering, technology and applied sciences faculties. Under this program, university teachers can spend six months to twelve months in an industry related to their field of interest/research on a turn-by-turn basis. During this period, such faculty members will keep receiving their monthly salaries as usual. So, what will be the major benefits of this model? There will be significant improvement in the pedagogical skills of faculty members as they will be teaching with practical examples, industrial case studies and real-world problem-solving approaches. During their placement in the industry, faculty members would make connections with the industrial experts/managers/engineers which would help them in future to supervise industry-relevant research, secure collaborative projects and contribute to technology transfer. They would identify operational challenges requiring research-based solutions. Upon returning to universities, they can transform these challenges into student projects, postgraduate research topics and consultancy opportunities. This would help create a healthier research culture focused on solving local industrial problems. University graduates will have problem solving skills that are required by industry. Over time, this model would help bridge the trust deficit that exists between academia and industry. Admittedly, implementing such a policy would not be easy. Challenges such as shortage of faculty, and increased teaching workloads are genuine challenges. There are also cultural barriers within academia, where industrial experience is often valued less than traditional academic achievements. However, these barriers are manageable. HEC and professional bodies such as PEC, and universities can jointly develop and implement structured industrial placement programs for faculty members. The industrial experience can be recognized within promotion criteria of faculty members, accreditation frameworks and quality assurance standards. In the nutshell, to produce industry ready graduates, the industrial exposure of university faculty members is indispensable. Their industrial experience will result in a stronger academia-industry linkage which is essential for economic growth, innovation and technological progress. Until universities and industries begin working together more meaningfully, Pakistan will continue producing degrees faster than opportunities. Prof. Engr. Dr. Khuram Pervez Amber (CEng, MEI, PE, FHEA) The writer is serving as Director QEC at Mirpur University of Science and Technology, AJ&K.

  • |

    An alien planet

    Imagine living on a world where the start of the day and the end of the day aren’t just different times, but entirely different environments. On one horizon, morning arrives in a chilly mist where vaporized rocks might condense into glittering, mineral clouds. On the opposite horizon, evening sets in as a roaring, hyper-heated furnace hot enough to shred water molecules into raw hydrogen and oxygen. This isn’t sci-fi world-building, it is the reality of WASP-121 b, an extreme exoplanet located roughly 850 light-years from Earth. Astronomers analyzing data from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) have uncovered unprecedented details about this distant world, proving for the first time that its morning and evening twilight zones are fundamentally different from one another. A World Locked in Perpetual Extremes WASP-121 b belongs to a class of cosmic objects known as hot Jupiters: giant gas planets that orbit extraordinarily close to their parent stars. Because of this extreme proximity, the planet is tidally locked. Just as the Moon always presents the same face to Earth, WASP-121 b always presents the exact same hemisphere to its star. One side endures an unrelenting, eternal day with scorching temperatures topping 2,500 degrees Celsius (4,500 degrees Fahrenheit). The opposite side faces permanent night, staring into cold space. For years, astrophysicists hypothesized that the narrow transition zones between day and night. The planet’s terminators might harbor complex, asymmetrical weather patterns. However, confirming this required measuring subtle variations in starlight as the planet passed in front of its star. How Jet Streams Reshape Alien Skies Using JWST’s Near-Infrared Spectrograph (NIRSpec), researchers tracked how starlight filtered through different parts of WASP-121 b’s atmosphere. The findings revealed a dramatic contrast between the morning transition and the evening transition. The driver behind this strange weather is a planetary-scale jet stream. Superheated air on the dayside doesn’t stay still; it rushes toward the cooler nightside at extreme speeds. Because the planet rotates toward the east, these violent winds carry thermal energy around the globe and dump the bulk of that heat directly into the evening region. As a result, WASP-121 b’s evening atmosphere grows significantly hotter than its morning counterpart. Heat causes gases to expand, puffing up the evening sky like a inflated balloon. When starlight filters through this swollen atmospheric layer, it reveals an environment so fierce that water molecules cannot survive intact. Clouds of Metal and Torn Molecules In the searing furnace of the evening sky, chemical bonds break. Water vapor brought in from the dayside is torn apart by the heat, leaving behind a sky depleted of chemical stability. As those same winds continue their journey around the cold nightside, the atmosphere gradually cools down. By the time the air sweeps around to form the morning twilight, the story flips. Here, temperatures drop enough for chemical compounds to reassemble. Scientists suspect that in this cooler morning zone, minerals such as silicates condense out of the gas phase. Instead of water clouds like those on Earth, WASP-121 b’s morning sky likely features reflective clouds made of liquid rock or iron droplets. These metallic clouds block radiation from deeper layers, making the morning side appear even cooler to space observatories. A New Era of Exoplanet Meteorology Until recently, studying alien worlds meant treating entire planets as single, uniform points of light. This discovery demonstrates that modern space telescopes can resolve climate dynamics across distinct regions of a world hundreds of light-years away.   By capturing the contrast between a planet’s morning and evening, astronomers are moving from simply discovering exoplanets to mapping their active weather systems. WASP-121 b may be far too hostile for life as we know it, but understanding its violent atmospheric currents brings us one step closer to reading the skies of smaller, cooler, and potentially habitable worlds in the future.

  • Online Harassment and Cybercrime in Pakistan: High Court Strengthens Protection of Digital Rights

    By Syeda Shehar Bano Bukhari Introduction: The rapid growth of social media and digital communication has transformed how people interact, work, and share information. Platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, WhatsApp, and other online services have become an important part of everyday life. However, the expansion of digital spaces has also created new forms of crime, including cyber harassment, online blackmail, identity theft, unauthorized sharing of private information, and the misuse of digital content. In Pakistan, cybercrime has become an increasingly important legal issue. Courts are now required to balance the protection of individuals from online abuse with fundamental rights such as freedom of expression and privacy. Recent judicial rulings have highlighted the need for effective investigation, proper use of digital evidence, and protection of victims of online harassment. Background of the Legal Issue: Online harassment can take many forms. It may involve sending threatening messages, repeatedly contacting a person against their wishes, creating fake social media accounts, spreading private photographs, or publishing false information to damage someone’s reputation.  Women are particularly vulnerable to certain forms of online harassment. In some cases, social media platforms are used to threaten women with the publication of private photographs or videos. Such conduct can cause serious psychological distress and may affect a person’s family relationships, education, employment, and social reputation. The problem becomes more complicated when victims hesitate to report such incidents because of social pressure or fear of further harassment. As a result, many cases of online abuse may remain unreported. Role of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act: Pakistan’s main legal framework for dealing with cybercrime is the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act, 2016 (PECA). The law provides criminal penalties for several forms of unlawful activity carried out through information technology and electronic communication. The law covers offences relating to unauthorized access, interference with information systems, cyberstalking, harassment, identity-related offences, and the misuse of electronic information. Under the legal framework, victims of cyber harassment can approach the relevant authorities and provide evidence such as screenshots, messages, emails, social media links, recordings, and other digital material. Such evidence may assist investigators in identifying the accused and establishing the circumstances of the alleged offence. Importance of Digital Evidence: One of the most important aspects of cybercrime cases is the collection and preservation of digital evidence. Unlike traditional crimes, online offences often leave electronic traces. For example, if an individual repeatedly threatens another person through WhatsApp messages, the victim may preserve screenshots, message records, telephone numbers, and other relevant information. Similarly, if a fake social media account is created to impersonate someone, the account link and associated digital information may become important evidence. However, digital evidence must be properly collected and authenticated. Courts must ensure that evidence presented before them is reliable and has not been manipulated by the offenders in connivance with the authorities. This makes forensic investigation an important part of modern criminal justice. Freedom of Expression and Online Abuse: The regulation of online content also raises questions concerning freedom of expression. Freedom of expression is a fundamental right, provided by the Constitution of Pakistan, 1973, but it is not unlimited and is also restricted. The law may impose reasonable restrictions in certain circumstances, including where speech involves threats, harassment, incitement to violence, or other unlawful conduct. The challenge for courts and law-enforcement authorities is to distinguish between legitimate criticism and unlawful online abuse. For example, a person criticizing a public official’s policies may be exercising freedom of expression. However, repeatedly threatening that official with violence or publishing private information with the intention of causing harm may cross the boundary between protected expression and unlawful conduct. Therefore, effective cybercrime laws must protect both individual safety and legitimate freedom of expression. A Real-Life Example: Consider a situation in which a woman receives repeated threatening messages from an unknown social media account. The person behind the account threatens to publish her private photographs unless she follows certain demands. Such conduct may create fear and psychological pressure. The victim can preserve the messages, take screenshots, record relevant account information, and report the matter to the appropriate authorities. The case demonstrates why awareness of digital rights and legal remedies is important. Victims should know that online harassment is not simply a personal disagreement; depending on the circumstances, it may constitute a criminal offence. Challenges in Cybercrime Investigations: Despite the existence of cybercrime laws, several challenges can affect the investigation and prosecution of online offences. First, offenders may use fake identities or anonymous accounts. Second, digital evidence can be deleted or altered quickly. Third, cybercrime investigations often require specialized technical expertise.  Another challenge is the international nature of the internet. An offender may operate from another country while targeting a victim in Pakistan. In such circumstances, obtaining evidence and identifying the person responsible may require international cooperation. These challenges demonstrate the need for trained investigators, modern forensic laboratories, effective cooperation between institutions, and public awareness. Protection of Victims: Victim protection is an important part of the response to cybercrime. Victims of online harassment may experience anxiety, fear, depression, and social pressure. In cases involving private images or blackmail, the psychological consequences can be particularly severe and damaging. Legal institutions should therefore ensure that victims can report complaints safely and confidentially. Investigations should be conducted professionally, and unnecessary exposure of victims’ private information should be avoided. The justice system should also recognize that victims of cyber harassment may require psychological and social support in addition to legal remedies. Broader Legal Significance: The increasing number of cybercrime cases demonstrates that traditional concepts of criminal law must adapt to technological developments. Crimes committed through digital platforms can cause real-world harm, even when the offender and victim never meet physically. The legal system must therefore develop effective methods for dealing with electronic evidence, online anonymity, cross-border offences, and rapidly changing technology. At the same time, laws should be applied carefully so that legitimate criticism, journalism, and freedom of expression are not unnecessarily restricted. A balanced legal approach is necessary to

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *