People are talking about —

 
October 17, 2021

-- how teams, under the supervision of the assistant commissioner and support of the local police, have started to forcibly vaccinate people in Larkana against Covid 19, while those who showed reluctance were manhandled by the police and threatened with consequences. People say everyone should be encouraged to get vaccinated but the way citizens are being treated is unfair and defies logic. Such high-handedness has no place in the democratic dispensation because dignity and rights of people are guaranteed by the Constitution.

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-- the fact that over the years political banter/criticism has gone from the sublime to the ridiculous with both the government and the opposition going at it hammer and tongs, making statements that are cringe worthy or downright silly. People say the recent outburst by a female leader of the opposition that the PM makes decisions/appointments through magic and genies not only shows frustration but makes her appear uneducated, so she should stick to facts and figures rather than speculation.

-- the debate about the government not giving details about the gifts given by foreign dignitaries to Pakistani dignitaries on their visits abroad. People say while it may ensure honesty, maybe the government has a point because some gifts are more valuable than others - depending on the countries that are visited - and it may prove to be embarrassing to those countries which are not as affluent as others to give out such details, so another system should be evolved to ensure transparency.

-- the decision by the ECP to have teams go from door to door to register voters and how it may be a good idea but will negate the government’s instruction not to give out information to those who come and ask for it. People say many fraudulent persons try and get personal information on some excuse or another, so citizens have become wary about such ‘teams,’ so how will they know whether the team from ECP is genuine or not?

-- the good news that there have been signs of a leopard comeback in the Margalla Hills of Islamabad because of a healthy ecosystem and that the PM has ordered a reserve for their safety. The cats, once found all over Pakistan is endangered as humans encroach on their habitat and kill them mercilessly. People say such initiatives are a very welcome step especially as more and more land is being overtaken by concrete jungles and depriving animals and birds of their natural habitat.

-- the news reports that the President ‘asks Napa to set up similar centres across country’ and ‘SHC orders setting up of girls medical college at Mohatta Palace’ Both the buildings are cut out for cultural activities. People say if any activity at any of these two places is against the law, or harmful to the young generation, legal action against the same would be justified. But if the two venues are catering to culture and art, they should be encouraged and supported. – I.H.

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