Sir: I would like to attract the attention of the general public as well as the concerned authority towards the matter. The insensitive use of loudspeakers has become quite a massive problem in our cities. The most annoying thing is that loudspeakers have now become an integral part of almost all celebrations, functions and parties. The people believe that private occasions, including marriages and birthday parties, are incomplete without the blaring of loudspeakers. Noise pollution is already one of the major problems that people living in cities have to deal with. The excessive use of loudspeakers has made it even worse. There are occasions when the use of a loudspeaker is necessary. But I see no justification in using them during all parties or meetings. The Punjab province first created a law regulating the use of loudspeakers in 1965, particularly aimed at mosques whose competing calls to prayer (azaan) are disrespectful at best and sacrilegious at worst. The people who are most affected by this improper use of loudspeakers are school-going children. Because of the excessive noise, children cannot concentrate on their studies. There are even signs outside schools indicating that no noise should be made in those areas — even honking one’s car horn would be considered a violation. However, the authorities take no action at all, and this emboldens the people who celebrate their own happiness at the expense of others’ peace and quiet, and contribute to noise pollution at the most inconvenient hours in some cases. It is about time the authorities did something to regulate the use of loudspeakers, especially for non-religious purposes. AHMED ALI KHAN Karachi Published in Daily Times, August 23rd 2017.