People are talking about —

— reverse migration and how, apparently, it is more practical to move to remote areas in the country because government departments, either federal or provincial, are incapable of supplying basic utilities to the citizens in the cities. People say apart from the insecurity of being cheated or robbed because of poor law enforcement, be it water, electricity or natural gas, nothing is available, so why should one pay the cost of living in a city when the quality of life is so poor.

— the fact that cheating has become a systematic problem in our education system because the lack of resources and infrastructure to catch those who are using underhanded methods is what fuels this rampant problem, which is extremely unfair for honest and hardworking students, whose future prospects are being undermined. People say there need to be stricter standards in examination centres across the country to monitor cheaters and exam invigilators to ensure that they are not complicit in the problem.

— the attack on minority homes and places of worship and how it has brought shame on the country and has upset the majority of citizens who do not subscribe to this kind of discrimination and hate. People say unfortunately, acts like this tend to be forgotten within a few days after condemnations from authority figures and the matter ends after the prosecution of a few culprits - there are hardly any follow-up measures to ensure that such acts are not repeated.

— the fact that women face many challenges which they could have avoided if they had access to education and how as a society, we need to rethink our values and our priorities. People say it is time to end this tyrannical circle and break the chains of oppression as it is unfair to categorize an entire demographic as inferior and we should support and empower them so that they can raise their voices when they are not treated fairly or justly.

— the report that gangs of outlaws in the katcha areas of south Punjab are using cars and women to lure unsuspecting victims to the border areas of Punjab and Sindh to abduct them for ransom. People say the gangs have changed their modus operandi after a sustained police operation and instead of leaving their hideouts to head to cities and towns to find victims, they have started using these tactics and once the men reach a certain prearranged spot they are abducted.

— how the pressure to excel takes a heavy toll on the mental health of students, leaving them stressed out. People say parents and educators must create a supportive environment where young people can express their emotions and concerns without fear of judgment or ridicule, while schools and colleges should also prioritise mental health and wellbeing of students by providing counselling services and the government should allocate more resources to mental health programmes that cater specifically to young people who are affected.

— the report that diabetes is growing at a rapid rate in the country, with around thirty three million adults affected by the disease. People say this problem is driven by our unbalanced and unhealthy diets, while the quality of oil used in our food is quite substandard and made even unhealthier because of re-use and to top it all the price of medication has also skyrocketed, leaving many people unable to get better once they fall victim to the illness. — I.H.