Sir: Being a citizen of Pakistan we are aware of target killers because our lives and safety have become unpredictable and we never know when we will be gunned down by any of them. On the other hand, no one is aware of the silent killer that is hiding behind us and following us everywhere. We get to know this deadly killer when it has already affected us and then we can do nothing about it except take some preventive measures to reduce the risk factor. This silent killer is none other than high blood pressure (also known as hypertension), which is growing as one of the leading health problems in Pakistan. According to a research report, 18 percent of young adults and 33 percent of adults above the age of 45 years are suffering from hypertension in Pakistan.High blood pressure is also known as the silent killer because it usually has no symptoms. It is the most common risk factor for heart attack and stroke. High blood pressure can also lead to kidney failure, aneurysm (weakening or bulging of blood vessel walls), damaged blood vessels in the eyes and vascular dementia (the second leading cause of memory loss and thinking problems). Unfortunately, barely half of Pakistanis with high blood pressure have it under control. As this disease is increasing rapidly, all we need is to join hands against it and create awareness about the expected symptoms, detection, treatment and preventive measures to it. I request the concerned authorities to activate such plans, including media awareness programmes and campaigns that will help to reduce the risk factor of high blood pressure and also help eradicate this disease. ZEHRA JAWEDKarachi