Trying times

These days, the number of suicide cases in Pakistan has been increasing drastically. Every other day we hear of someone or the other forced to it by poverty or joblessness. The recent video of a young man leaping from the third floor of a famous mall in Karachi is a stark reminder that those at the helm of affairs should do something to end the agony of unemployment and poverty in the country.

Moreover, the decision of closing CNG stations for a month and a half will make thousands of people jobless. Even the decision of increasing the minimum wage to Rs25000 in Sindh is proving counterproductive, as industrialists are threatening to shut down or relocate if they are pressured to pay that much. Then the construction sector too is in limbo due to people’s reluctance to invest in this sector after the Nasla Tower fiasco. In all this, young people are the worst affected and their concerns need to be mitigated. However, both the government and the opposition are busy in their blame games and seem to be least bothered about the problems of the people.

Malik ul Quddoos

Karachi