Comment

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

Dear Editor,
Congratulations on bringing out a well-edited newspaper from Lahore. The contents are high quality, enjoyable and worth reading. All the best to you and your team on this venture.
ABDUL RAHIM SHEIKH
Lahore

It is a shame the present government has done nothing substantial in helping the flood affected people. Most of them are still without any shelter and food supplies. They need to have basic provisions as soon as possible in order to sail through the winter. As the winters in Pakistan are harsh and dry, there could be the danger of contagious disease or even an epidemic could start due to the overall unhygienic conditions in the affected areas. The government and other donor agencies,

Amongst the Mughals of yore, the story of Aurangzeb and the brutal manner in which he treated his own family stands alone.
As legend has it, Aurangzeb served his brother Dara Shikoh's head on a platter to his father, Shah Jahan, who he imprisoned in a fort overlooking the glorious Taj Majal which he had built in honor of the love of his life, the Persian princess Mumtaz Mahal.
It wasn't enough, apparently, for Aurangzeb to hate his immediate family members. He had to torture

Disclaimer: The contents of this article are mostly fictitious, except when they're not. The publication does not take any responsibility for the views and opinions expressed herein. Batteries sold separately.
News is a funny business. I'm not just saying that because this is supposed to be a humour column, but because it's the truth. But if precedent is anything to go by, there's not a lot of room in the nine o' clock news for the truth.
Those of you who had the misfortune

Societal harmony and state stability cannot be ensured in an environment of religious and cultural intolerance and the attempts by some individuals or groups to impose their religio-cultural choices on others by the use or threat of violence and intimidation.
Religious and cultural intolerance and terrorism are the most destructive threats to Pakistani state and society that has ethnic, linguistic, regional and Islamic-sectarian diversity. Any attempt to steamroll these

A report in this paper on the rise of domestic debt by Rs 813 billion brings under focus just one aspect of the multifaceted bad governance that characterises both the federal and provincial administrations. It should be alarming that in the first two months of the current fiscal year, domestic debt expanded by Rs 211 billion bringing the total to a whopping Rs 4.863 trillion. This is despite the warnings by the SBP of the roll-over risks involved, and by private bankers that this

The PML(N)'s j`accuse against former dictator Pervez Musharraf on the anniversary of his '99 takeover was a spot of fun. Not because the subject is light and frivolous but because of the fact that an actual charge-sheet had been prepared and presented in a fashion that made a pretense of legal proceedings. The whole thing, of course, was a PR exercise. The 12th of October is always a tough call for the N League. What to do? How to show indignation? What rabbit, in a manner of

It is the habit of every modern society to discard old and used items. The application of the same rule in the case of elderly people is embarrassing and too shameful. They are humans like us and have more value as they have played their part in building a better society and guiding the youth. The government should focus on providing proper facilities to these persons in the public places. If necessary, it should go for proper legislation in this regard.
Lahore

NATO tendered apologies to the Pakistan government on the recent casualties caused by its helicopters inside Pakistan's territory. The question is: 'will this apology be enough to deter them from such an act in the future'. They must not only apologise but also take full responsibility of the action and assure our government that nothing of this sort will happen again. Only this can help minimize the damage caused by this incident.
Lahore

The Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has stated that prison is an ornament of politicians. This statement can have dangerous repercussions. Generally, the prisoners are criminals of all sorts. Attributing a good thing, like an ornament, to prison might send negative signals. The criminals might consider prison as a sort of distinction rather than a place of perdition. Moreover, ornaments are mostly worn by women and politicians cannot be included in that category only.
Lahore

CSS students are constantly pleading with the President and the Prime Minister of Pakistan and other authorities to raise the age limit of CSS students from 28 years to 30 years, its previous status in pre-Musharraf era. They have time and again reminded the rulers of their earnest pledges of wiping out every remnant of Musharraf regime and restore democracy in its true letter and spirit. But the rulers, in the case of age limit of CSS students have not respected their promises yet.