Sir: Through your esteemed newspaper I want to draw the attention of the public to the Karachi University management’s recent move to pass a notice stating that a fine of 1000 rupees will be imposed if a girl is found accessing the smoking areas at the university campus.
While I totally agree that smoking is extremely harmful for health, and it causes so many diseases and problems, especially for the lungs and the heart, my problem with the Karachi University’s decision is why this rule was only applied to the female students at the institute? Their actions highlight the incredible inequality in our society. An education institution should teach everybody the importance of equality and that males and females, boys and girls, men and women are all equal.
If the university wants to ban smoking then the rules should be applied to the male students as well, otherwise it just showcases the backward mentality of the university management, and their antiquated ideas on gender roles in society. The young are our future, and none of them deserve preferential treatment, regardless of their genders, casts or creeds.
TAHA CHISHTI
Via Email
Published in Daily Times, October 6th 2018.