I Think, Therefore I blog

Mystery cases

2026-11-12T14:22:55.101-08:00

Published in Dawn on October 1, 1995

The article "Mystery cases raise questions about industrialisation" by Sue Ann Presley (DAWN, Sep 21) is about Hispanics in the US, but it could apply to Pakistanis as well.

For a number of years I have observed that children living near the industrial areas of Karachi are mentally deficient. Of course, to a certain extent, most Pakistanis are morons (proved by the kind of people they elect to their assemblies)! But a study definitely needs to be carried out to determine why the number of stillborn children born in the coastal areas and along the banks of the River Lyari is so high.

In the US the Hispanics have access to facilities to find out whether the children were born without brains, or whether they died of other causes. Here, the simple folk just bury their dead infants, and immediately proceed to bring another one into this world.

Shakir Lakhani

Karachi

Wheat Despots

2026-11-12T11:28:36.934-08:00

Published in The Friday Times on October 5, 2007

Sir,

According to a news item, our honourable ministers do not want to crack down on the wheat hoarders because they're influential people who could create problems for the ruling party in the general elections. What else is new? No action was taken against those who caused the sugar shortage because some ministers or their relatives were involved. Only crooks can get elected to Parliament in Pakistan, and ironically, it is they who decide the amount of taxes, we, the law abiding citizens must pay.

Shakir Lakhani

Karachi

Population and President

2026-11-12T11:12:20.477-08:00

Published in The News on March 8, 1998

The Minister for Population Welfare, Syeda Abida Hussain, is reported to have strongly objected to the omission of the population problem by the President in his recent address to the joint sitting of Parliament.

By now, everyone knows that the President thinks there is a population problem in the country, but his approach to the problem is different from that of the lady. According to those who have mindsets similar to that of the President's, the problem is that there are not enough Pakistanis around and that the population of the country should be at least twice it's present strength.

Shakir Lakhani

Karachi

Vajpayee's comments

2026-11-12T11:05:36.410-08:00

Published in The News on March 8, 1998

On the eve of Indian elections, Atal Behari Vajpayee is reported to have told Muslims that they should choose either Islam or India. He also told them to forget Makkah. There are other minorities in India, like the Sikhs, Buddhists and Christians. Why do only Muslims get the flak?

Shakir Lakhani

Karachi

Quaid's birthplace

2026-11-12T10:39:40.690-08:00

Published in Dawn on April 9, 1996

IN SPITE of the fact that the Quaid and his illustrious sister both stated that he was born in Karachi, some learned people are determined to prove that this is not true.

They are now requested to speedily find out his last resting place. After all, someone may have played a trick on the nation and buried him in one of those numerous tombs for which Thatta is famous.

The present government should also demolish Wazir Mansion and hand the site over to the construction mafia, since a commercial plaza is desperately needed in the locality.

Shakir Lakhani

Karachi

Why did he die?

2026-11-12T10:25:34.868-08:00

Published in The News on October 24, 1998

Some people may wonder why Hakim Mohammad Said was killed. He was killed because the cops are there to server and protect the VIP's, not ordinary folks like us. He died so that those in power should know that all is not well., however much they may proclaim otherwise. He died so that we should ask our rulers whether our taxes are meant to provide protection of life and property or for them to buy dollars to be siphoned off.

Shakir Lakhani

Karachi

Glass towers

2026-11-12T03:39:41.310-08:00

Published in Dawn on May 12, 1996

THE Chief Minister of Sindh is to be commended for stopping all construction on this project, and for ordering an enquiry into the affair.

One hopes that the enquiry will also determine why the government departments (especially the KBCA) took no notice of the gross violations, and allowed three stories to go up. If Mr.Ardeshir Cowasjee had not written about it, by now the whole external structure would have been completed.

Not only must the entire structure be demolished; all those who approved the plans or failed to take any action so far should be whipped in public, to prevent this sort of thing happening again.

Shakir Lakhani

Karachi

Saifur Rehman

2026-11-12T03:24:00.699-08:00

Published in The News on March 2, 1999

The moment Saifur Rehman said that even the father of a judge would not have acquitted an accused without his permission, he lost his right to be in an important government position. He should be sacked immediately.

Shakir lakhani

Karachi

Inefficient CBR

2026-11-11T13:19:36.773-08:00

Published in The News on January 11, 2007

A recent news report in you newspaper regarding the disappearance of two thousand containers on the way to dry ports and the suspension of two collectors for allowing rebates to exporters on the basis of fake invoices makes one wonder why the CBR should not be disbanded.

The missing containers were on their way from Karachi to the dry ports where the consignments were to be released after payment of duty and sales tax. God alone knows how many more containers have vanished in the past. Owing to this kind of gross negligence, the government loses billions in revenue, while honest importers suffer because their goods cannot remain competitive. Goods meant for Afghanistan under the Afghan Transit Trade are sold in our markets, causing much harm to local industry. The government seems powerless to eliminate such malpractices and is also not able to prevent smuggling of finished goods into the country and this make one wonder whether it even has the moral right to impose taxes on local industry. After all, why should investors suffer because of corruption within the government itself?

Also,government officials and ministers should not rub salt into our wounds by making tall claims about how they're helping local industries to survive.

Shakir Lakhani

Karachi

'Can someone in PTC read this?'

2026-11-11T13:01:25.891-08:00

Published in The News on August 19, 1995

What should a man do if his telephone goes dead and remains dead for more than two months even though he had written to everyone concerned to revive it?

My telephone 5867012 is out of order since the middleof June, much before the recent rains. I have written to the Divisional Engineer at least five times and to the General manager twice.

I have even visited the Clifton Telephone Exchange to find out why they have singled me out for this unique form of torture."Have you met the Divisional Engineer?" says the girl at the counter of the exchange. "Have you met the General Maganer?" enquires the man at the reception counter of the GM. Why on earth should I meet these two worthies? Isn't it enough that I have written to them? No so long ago, a person only needed to dial 18 for the lineman to promptly get his telephone working again.

I can only assume that the General Manager and the Divisional Engineer are both highly illiterate persons, in which case they have no business being in their present posts, or all my letters to them are being consigned to the trash cans.

Perhaps some literate persons will read this letter and translate it for their Royal Highnesses

Shakir Lakhani