Why is the world’s conscience asleep (Musharraf charged with high treason, April 1)? Pervez Musharraf is credited with making Pakistan the only non-Nato front line ally against the global war on terror, but he is being humiliated and incarcerated in Pakistan.
He was blackmailed earlier while trying to leave Pakistan. He was then charged with treason and the saga goes on. Now the government refuses to take his name off the exit-control list so that he can meet his ailing mother. The Pakistani government is forgetting that Gen Musharraf had voluntarily returned to Pakistan to clear his name from all charges.
According to news reports, barrister Raza Kasuri claimed recently that Gen Musharraf was offered a deal to sign a five-year bond not to return to the country and that only then his name would be removed from the exit-control list. Being a man of integrity, Gen Musharraf has refused to do so.
Waleed Hashmi, Dubai
Provide ‘tools’ for Emiratis to build career
Regarding unemployment rates among young Emiratis (Emiratis need to work hard, April 1) it is interesting to note similar problems in the UK, even with graduates, who face competition of around 70:1 applications for graduate-level jobs.
Working in higher education, it is notable that employers not only look for a good degree and work experience, but also additional evidence of work ethic (community volunteering, leadership, commercial awareness and so on) and for students to demonstrate the ability to self-start and manage their own talent.
I have been leading a fast cycle undergraduate business course for six years, where students have to be motivated and resilient to both work full-time and study by distance learning during their second year. To support them, various behavioural interventions are made to successfully develop the necessary work ethic and mindset of personal responsibility.
As your reader suggests, Governments cannot do everything and, as my experiences show, it is possible to help provide the “tools” for young people to find their own way to successful careers.
Jon Sloper, Nottingham Business School, UK
Will driving culture ever change?
To drive safely requires spatial awareness and thinking ahead as to where you are, where you are going, and where you will need to be up ahead (Other motorists' disregard for traffic rules is driving me crazy, April 4). Think, anticipate and then "do". Too many drivers have no awareness of the vehicles around them (and don't seem to care), so they're never thinking ahead for where they will need to be positioned in traffic. They "think" at the same time they are "doing". Hence the last-second turns across three lanes of traffic next to them.
John Barganier, Abu Dhabi
There are many selfish drivers who have no regard for others’ lives. They think the road belongs to them. We need a lot of police with fine books.
Zaid Ardah, Abu Dhabi
The culture of driving in the UAE is saddening. It’s dangerous, selfish and just plain ridiculous. Every time I see someone driving with a child on the lap, it drives me crazy.
There is no motorway patrol, no regard for the laws of the road. All it needs is some education, common sense, a will to abide by the law and having motorway patrols to implement the law. I saw a person at the traffic division get a 50 per cent reduction on Dh32,000 worth of tickets.
The reason for giving him the discount was that he didn’t have enough money.
Scott Sorensen, Dubai
That an Emirati woman has written this article gives me hope as it starts with the young generation being aware and realising that their driving culture must change.
Sadly after having lived in the UAE for nearly 18 years, I now live in Qatar which is much worse. There is literally anarchy on those roads. And for those myths related to the no speed-limit autobahn in Germany, there are very few actual strips left, most of them do have a limit between 120kph and 130kph.
Christina Heiser, Qatar
In answer to the question posed on Facebook, Do you think there is something fundamentally flawed in the UAE’s overall driving culture?, I would say yes. But what really makes me chuckle is how many articles such as this one are posted on your website inviting readers to comment. Many make very sensible solutions to the problems discussed, but until the people who make the laws take these on board, nothing will change. I believe that while readers like to give their opinion, perhaps their energies could be put to better use on something else rather than a repetitive scenario that has no hope of changing any time soon.
Name withheld by request
