My cook is from the village of Shangla, about 500 Km from the city of Mingora in Swat. His family consisting of 13 people is starving to death since the last 16 days. The only connection they had with the outside world was through the cell phone and even that has been cut off lately. There is no news at all from the family now. There is a 24 hours curfew in the area and they have nothing to eat to survive. There is no stock of pulses, rice or flour in the small bazaar. There is no milk either as their buffalo has died due to starvation. I don't know what our good-for-nothing government is doing to save such people that are stranded penniless in war zones with out food. The Army has ordered a 24 hours curfew in the area. Now who is responsible for the certain death they face due to starvation. There are hundreds of such families starving to death in this area but the army or the government don't seem very inclined for doing something for them. Only God in His infinite mercy can help them. -RAZA ALI DOSSA, Karachi, via e-mail, May 26.