This is with reference to the report ‘National football players still await unpaid dues’ (Nov 26). It is a pity that football players who represented Pakistan in international tournaments have not received their match fee yet. These include senior men’s and women’s squads as well as U-19, U-17 and U-16 teams. The players are being forced to repeatedly visit and inquire about their dues. This is criminal negligence. Having said that, in a country where there is hardly any investment in sports other than cricket, the news was not really surprising. The delay in payment will only deteriorate Pakistan’s ranking and will be highly detrimental to the players’ self-respect. Reports of Pakistanis being detained in Saudi Arabia for begging and other crimes are deeply concerning. Unfortunately, many of these individuals travel as pilgrims, using religious visits as a cover to exploit foreign countries. Just recently, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) apprehended eight such people at the airport in Multan. As such, thousands travel to Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries with similar intent. Undoubtedly, these actions reflect poorly on our nation. The authorities should take immediate and effective steps to stop this practice. This is with reference to the report ‘Premier wants dedicated riot force to tackle violent protests’ (Nov 29). Given the history of violent protests and government’s appr-oach to deal with them, I think the government completely misunderstands the situation. Truly, when protests are held, very few turn violent. A protest is an expression of voter dissatisfaction. They are dissatisfied due to various reasons, but mostly due to lack of service delivery by government institutions. Instead of dealing with protests with an iron hand, the easiest way for the government to handle the situation would be to start delivering on the promises.