People are talking about —

—- how, from the parking mafia to the theft of vehicle parts, car-owners in Karachi remain concerned about the vehicle they park - whether in an open area close to the house, or in a designated parking lot, the threat is the same. People say however secure the owners think their vehicles are, the theft of car accessories is an epidemic and there is nothing anyone can do about it, while the relevant crime control authorities have the intent to.

— how at the recent three-day International Housing Expo, the most bewildering proposal which emanated from this collective exercise was that in order to resolve the housing problems of low-income segments of the population, a ‘housing bank’ needs to be established. People say none of the participants and ‘experts’ seemed aware of the existence of the House Building Finance Corporation (HBFC), as the mandate of the institution is to provide ‘finance for the housing needs of lower and middle income citizens.’

— the recent advertisement by the Sindh Public Service Commission (SPSC) by which it announced 45 posts of assistant director in the Social Welfare Department but it has overlooked the Social Work discipline altogether as part of the eligibility criterion. People say those who are qualified and are keen to apply are dismayed because this academic discipline is an important subject for social welfare, but its omission leaves the field open, so it should be included through a corrigendum.

— the age-old menace of smog and how it’s getting worse by the year. People say the government should wake up and devise and implement practical and pragmatic measures like a check on deforestation; encourage the use of zigzag technology in brick kilns; ensure the reduction of crop burning; issue tickets to owners of smoke-emitting vehicles and last but not least, take to task the industrial sector and the ever sprawling housing societies which are the main culprit behind deforestation.

— the fact that the sugarcane farmers face delays in payments and low income due to the low price paid by the mills compared to the support price announced by the government, while the mill-owners have their own litany of woes, so they too must be considered. People say the entire spectrum of issues related to the sugar industry calls for a redesigning of the structure and necessary reforming of the sugar market with contemporary policies to remove the underlying bottlenecks.

— the fact that Pakistan was confronted with the most horrendous implications of climatic changes this year as more than one-third of its land was flooded, killing thousands and displacing millions. People say many of the displaced are still without food, shelter and medicines but unfortunately, the attention of our political entities is elsewhere and they are neglecting the relief effort because a disaster of this scale requires unity and a single-minded focus across the political spectrum, especially in this weather.

— the fact that one of the major reasons behind the vanishing habit of reading is the exorbitant prices of books and, amid rising inflation when parents can hardly afford to buy course books for their children, story books and novels are considered unnecessary. People say book fairs provide a great opportunity to highlight the importance of books and inculcate the love of reading, so the relevant authorities must arrange book fairs regularly to ensure that reading books are available at reasonable prices. —