About two weeks ago, we, more than twenty females from Nawabshah, were selected for a training course by the Education & Literacy Department under the Benazir Bhutto Youth Development Programme. After passing the written test & interview, we were selected from thousands of students and our names were published in the newspapers in a merit list. Immediately after that, we started our training course at PITE (Professional Institute of Technical Education), Nawabshah. On January 31, however, Dr. Azra Pechuho (sister of the President of Pakistan) made a surprise visit to our institute during training timings and shocked everyone including teachers and staff by saying on the spot that "from style & dressing up, it appears these girls have not come on merit". Immediately after that she asked another list to be prepared within 20 minutes and declared angrily that she would replace all selected candidates. Despite being selected on merit from thousands of students, we were told we had to be replaced just because the sister of the President did not like our 'style'. Will anybody tell us what is more important, merit or style? -DISSAPPOINTED STUDENTS, Nawabshah, via e-mail, February 1.