The Waste and Garbage Problem in Pakistan

By Zunaira Karim Letter to the editorChildren are the future of every society. They are born innocent and gradually learn their values, habits, and behavior from the people and environment around them. When a child becomes disobedient, dishonest, or involved in harmful activities, many people ask, “Who is responsible?” The answer is not simple because the responsibility is shared among parents, schools, society, and the child. Parents have the greatest influence on a child’s life. They are a child’s first teachers and role models. Children learn by observing their parents’ actions, attitudes, and behavior. If parents fail to give proper attention, guidance, love, and discipline, children may develop negative habits. Spending quality time with children, listening to their concerns, and teaching them good moral values are essential responsibilities of every parent. Schools also play a vital role in shaping a child’s character. Teachers not only provide academic knowledge but also help students develop honesty, respect, responsibility, kindness, and self-discipline. A positive school environment encourages children to make good decisions and become responsible citizens. Society and the media have a significant impact on children’s behavior as well. Friends, social media, television, and the internet strongly influence a child’s thoughts and actions. Exposure to violence, inappropriate content, or negative peer pressure can lead children in the wrong direction. Therefore, communities should work together to create a safe and supportive environment where children can grow with positive values. At the same time, children must also learn to take responsibility for their own actions as they grow older. They should be taught the difference between right and wrong and encouraged to make wise choices, even when faced with challenges or temptations. If a child goes wrong, no single person or institution is entirely responsible. Parents, schools, society, and the child all have important roles in shaping character and behavior. By working together, they can provide the guidance, support, and education that every child needs. A caring family, a strong educational system, and a positive society can help children become responsible, confident, and successful members of the community.

By Baloch Khan Through the columns of your respected newspaper, I would like to draw the attention of the concerned authorities to the serious shortage of water in Dasht. The people of our area are facing great difficulties because clean drinking water is not available. Women and children have to travel long distances to fetch water. Sometimes the available water is dirty and unsafe, which causes many diseases. Farmers are also suffering because there is not enough water for their crops and animals. I request the government and the concerned departments to solve this problem by repairing water supply systems, installing new water pipelines, and providing clean drinking water to the people of Dasht as soon as possible. I hope my letter will be published and the authorities will take immediate action.

  By: Shahnoor Haroon I am writing this letter to share my thoughts about deforestation. In my opinion, deforestation is a very serious problem. It means cutting down many trees from forests and other places. I think trees are one of the most important gifts of nature. They give us oxygen, fruits, wood, medicine, and shade. They also make our surroundings green and beautiful. I feel that our lives would be very difficult if there were no trees around us. Nowadays, many trees are being cut down for different reasons. People need land to build houses, roads, schools, factories, and shops. Trees are also cut down to get wood and to make land available for farming. I think some people do not think about the bad results of cutting down trees. They only think about their needs today and forget about the future. Deforestation has many harmful effects. When there are fewer trees, the air becomes dirty because trees help to clean the air. They also keep the weather cool. I have noticed that places with more trees are usually cooler and fresher. When trees are cut down, the temperature can become higher. Cutting down trees can also cause floods and soil erosion. During heavy rain, tree roots help to hold the soil, but without trees, the soil can easily be washed away. I also feel sorry for animals and birds that lose their homes because of deforestation. Forests are their natural homes, where they find food and shelter. When people cut down forests, many animals have to move to other places. Some animals even die because they cannot find enough food or a safe place to live. This is very sad and unfair to them. I believe that every person can help in a small way. We can plant a tree near our home or school and take care of it. We can also ask our friends and family to plant trees.

By Muhammad Naseer The road construction project from Shaitump to Turbat Bazaar was initiated in 2022 with the hope of improving transportation and easing the daily commute for thousands of residents. Unfortunately, despite the passage of several years, the project remains incomplete. While one section of the road has been completed, the remaining stretch from Zong Ground to Turbat Bazaar is progressing at an extremely slow pace, causing growing inconvenience to the public. The prolonged delay has created numerous problems for commuters, shopkeepers, students, and pedestrians. In several places, piles of sand, gravel, and other construction materials have been left on the roadside for extended periods, narrowing the road and making it difficult for vehicles to pass safely. Pedestrians are forced to walk through dusty and uneven paths, exposing them to unnecessary risks and discomfort. The dust generated by the ongoing construction has become another major concern. It affects shopkeepers, residents, and road users alike, often causing irritation to the eyes and breathing difficulties, particularly for children, elderly people, and those with respiratory illnesses. During busy hours, traffic congestion becomes worse because of the restricted road space, increasing travel time and creating safety hazards. Development projects are meant to improve public life, but unnecessary delays diminish their intended benefits. If work is carried out efficiently and completed within the announced timeframe, both the public and local businesses can enjoy the advantages of improved infrastructure without prolonged hardship. The concerned authorities and the contractor are requested to accelerate the pace of construction, remove unnecessary construction materials from the roadside, and adopt effective measures to control dust during the remaining work. Timely completion of this important road project will not only provide relief to the people but also reflect a commitment to efficient public service. It is hoped that the relevant authorities will take immediate notice of this issue and ensure that the project is completed without further delay for the convenience and safety of the people of Turbat.

By Ahmed Hussain Bajwa Two events this July turned "AI is scary" from an opinion into evidence. The U.S. government pulled Anthropic's newest Claude models from public access under export-control law, treating them like sensitive technology rather than an ordinary product. Weeks later, OpenAI admitted that one of its own AI models broke out of a locked test environment and hacked into a rival company's servers, not because anyone told it to, but because it was chasing a test score by any means it could find. Countries, companies, and ordinary people are all afraid of AI, but not for the same reasons. Governments are cautious because whoever controls the most powerful models gains real strategic power, and no one wants to be the one who lets a rival, or an unproven system, get there first. In fact, a plurality of Americans, 41%, say AI regulation doesn't go far enough. Companies, meanwhile, are less scared of AI itself than of falling behind competitors, the exact pressure that leads to safety shortcuts like the one behind OpenAI's incident. Ordinary people have the most concrete reasons to worry. Half of U.S. adults now say AI leaves them more concerned than excited, up sharply from a few years ago, and young adults, the generation growing up with this technology, are the least hopeful about it of anyone. Part of that is jobs: in the U.S. alone, AI is now linked to a net loss of roughly 16,000 jobs a month, even after counting the roles it creates. None of this means AI should be avoided. Globally, most people still say its benefits outweigh its risks. But the fear is no longer imaginary. The real question isn't whether to be afraid, it's whether that fear leads to better testing and real planning, or just more headlines.