Sir: I am stricken with grief and emotion as a write this, thinking of how abused and helpless animals are in our society. It sickens me when I see people throwing stones at them when all they are doing is sleeping silently on a street corner. Unfortunately, in my experience this has been a frequent sight in Pakistan. People even poison stray cats and dogs outside their homes. It is beyond my comprehension how people can be this cruel. Animals are emotional and intelligent beings and deserve to be treated with love and respect. Our treatment of them shows how we behave with those who are weaker than us. Seeing how we treat animals in Pakistan, I believe some self reflection is in order. Laws should be passed to protect animals from abuse, even strays. EISIYAN HAIDER Turbat Published in Daily Times, January 23rd 2018.