Editor's Mail

When Musharraf took over the country in a coup in 1999, he dethroned an elected government. He sent the democracy packing and the Sharif family into a mutually agreed upon exile in Saudi Arabia. He also banned their entry into Pakistan. But now it seems the time has come to repay the debt. Now the PML-N has issued a charge sheet against him in the same manner he charged them in 'Plane Highjacking case'. Now he is in exile and cannot return to the country because of fear of persecution

In a statement yesterday, the PM announced that he had plans to reduce the size of the gargantuan cabinet that the executive arm of the state is labouring under. This upsized version of the cabinet contains an incredible 66 members! It is a tragedy of Greek proportions that we have a 66(!)-member strong cabinet, yet the governance is as bad as it could possibly be.
This cabinet is nothing but a drain on the ledger which Pakistan could not afford even before but can now afford

The cell phone companies in the country have been airing ads on TV channels suggesting that one is good while the other is not. They describe their rates as the lowest in the market and each of them claims to be the largest company in the country. I was wondering if each of them is the number one company in the country, then who the number two is. Their rates are not justifiable either. The PTA should bring them to the task immediately as they are fleecing the customers

Facebook has changed the way people live in the past five years. They have become addicted to Facebook. I don't think I can name any other site which has boasted this much success in such a short time. It has become a phenomenon for some and a blessing for others. Yet some are using it as a lifestyle.
With a total user base of more than 500 million, almost three times more than our entire population, it has really turned into a digital marvel and wonder. Around 30 million users

Lahore is known for many things. It is the cultural hub of Pakistan. Education, entertainment, film, theater, Mughal era buildings, museum and many other historical places have made the city worth visiting for everyone. One thing that makes it stand out is its parks and gardens but unfortunately, they seem to be neglected these days. There are heaps of dust and litter all around them, the lawns are not mowed and there are no facilities for children to enjoy in these parks.
These

Water is the most important ingredient of life. It helped create the life and it has sustained it so far successfully. There is no doubt that without water, we cannot survive for long. This resource is being wasted without any care in the whole world, particularly in Asia. The recent report claiming that clean water worth US $ 9 bn is being sent to the drain in Asian cities is a sign of alarm and should make this part of the world be more careful.
IFTIKHAR HABIB
Lahore

I am writing this with regard to the Royal Palm scandal that has been surfacing in the news these days. It is has been said by the Parliamentary Committee investigating the matter that the club was built by defrauding the government on Railways land, with the connivance of a few big names in the Army and Railway Dept back then. Shaukat Aziz and other such names were leading the lights. This sprawling course representing the decadence of the rich and careless in Pakistan epitomizes

Dear Editor,
It was a tremendous experience to read such a nice newspaper. It was like reading an international newspaper. I really appreciate your innovative approach towards Pakistani journalism. I went through the Pakistan Today's Sunday edition and it was superb, more than my expectations. I liked it in the first sight. The paper quality impressed me a lot. 'The Lounge' is a beautiful and complete magazine. The first impression is great and I wish you and your team all the

The recent increase in the TV programmes that have started various dance compettiotons under the pretext of talent shows is not what Islam teaches us. Bringing to fore the young children of ripe age and asking them to pair up with the opposite sex and then dance to win an award is tantamount to inciting them to be immoral in their actions and thinking.
Islam clearly prohibits such actions and being an Islamc state, the government shold also put a ban on these shows.
SAAD

It is a fact, as strange as it may sound, that we have lost the appeal and respect for elders in our society. The youth is busy in their education, sports activities, internet, and mobile phones. They like to sit in front of a PC or TV instead of talking to a real person who may even help them in the ways of the world. Their mind is more inquisitive and they are far more adventurous than our lot but nothing matches experience. Most of us feel being shunned out of our lively lives

It has often been noticed that our society is totally gender biased. The real hypocrisy in the situation comes to the fore when we see men ogling and staring at women on bus stands and in markets or other public places, but the same men would eagerly vacate a seat for a woman inside a bus or when they prefer female candidates for a particular job.
This lopsided dogmatic notion of gender in our society must end soon if we are to move towards success.
SANAM LIAQAT
Lahore

I wonder if there is any sincere or, for that matter, any competent economic advisor in the present democratic setup. Every time I read a news item, it says our economy is spiraling downwards.
Is there no economic advisor who could explain this to the public and suggest amends to the government? Why can't we get out of these economic doldrums?
IMTIAZ HASHMI
Lahore

The former Prime Minister and the President have gone the wrong way. Both of them are involved in a tirade that seems to be not ending any soon.
If any of them is sincere to the country, they would stop it and look for the ways to solving the problems that the country now faces. It would be quite useless to spend so much energy on these verbal clashes that would rather leave a bad taste.
IFFAT AZEEM
Lahore

General (Retd) Pervez Musharraf considers himself a leader of the nation while living abroad. That's a strange idea as he was complete out of step when he was running the country by usurping power.
A usurper cannot be considered a legitimate ruler. A leader is the person whom the people elect, and thus, pose their confidence in him. This is something Gen Pervez Musharraf lacks and he must understand this, but being a 'boot' he does not know what popularity and election is.

The sincerity of the government is in question when it comes to the NRO case in the Supreme Court. Why the government wants to change counsel? Why has it put forward another application for an extension in the date of hearing? These steps show insincerity on the part of the government in facing the Court and the consequences of its actions.
SARA VIRK
Lahore

It is a strange fact that we allow dictators to run our beloved country for almost a decade while we start protests and ask for a change when the democratic government is in power. The democracy cannot flourish without the stability in the government. This is why we should all try to help our present democratic government complete its tenure by not trying to destabilise the government.
ALI WASEEM
Lahore

There is an obscene advertisement being aired on the TV channels these days. It shows a girl raising her hand in a crowd to greet a boy at a distance while there is a sound in the back "yar mila". This denotes a girl calling a boy as her "yar", which is a derogatory idea in our Islamic culture. The ad is tantamount to encouraging girls to make "yars" through mobile phones. It seems these companies are trying to entice young girls to the ways that Islam has prohibited.
The Western