Unite

Years ago, we were devastated by an onslaught of locusts. The government at that time took every possible step to minimise the damage to our crops. In cities and villages, people came out with anything they could get hold of to make noise to scare off the locust. People from all walks of life and from every age and gender came together to do whatever they could to prevent the loss of crops to the locust swarms. It was this unity and zeal of people that kept the damage at a minimum.

When I see the lacklustre response of the government and people to the present locust attacks, I feel that we have lost the spirit of fighting such disasters as one. Politicians do less practical work, indulging evermore in irrelevant and frivolous matters. The government of Sindh did not take timely measures to handle the locust issue during the Covid-19 pandemic. The Punjab government also seems to be more concerned about appeasing its allies by playing down the issue altogether. The federal government, opposition, and the people must realize that this is a threat that affects everyone, and we must fight it together.

Raja Shafaatullah

Islamabad