IT is sad that just a year after its inception the National Internship Programme which was launched with the motive of eradicating poverty and unemployment has met with its demise. One cannot help but feel sorry for the 30,000 youth inducted into the various government departments under the programme last year who have been fired in the middle of the session without placement elsewhere. Also, the basic philosophy of such ventures was to ensure job security and eliminate unemployment. The government of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto regularised the interns in the government departments in 1974. At present, the interns have appealed to the Prime Minister to carry on the programme as its closure would be a waste of an entire year's toil and labour, not to mention their hopes of finding a permanent niche in the government sector. It would be a huge injustice to the NIP interns if the government turned a blind eye to their concerns. The project needs to be continued and those enrolled under the programme allowed to complete their term. While the HEC has introduced a similar internship programme in the domain of science, giving marching orders to thousands of previously enrolled students makes little sense.