People are talking about —

— the poor performance of the Pakistani athletes at the Asian Games in China which is not surprising given that they lack motivation because sports culture is not a priority; inadequate infra-structure and finances. People say with freedom from political interference, improved financial streams, better coaching quality, and merit-based opportunities free of quota restrictions, there is a good chance that the nation’s youth of either gender and from all provinces will be able to compete on an equal footing with their international sporting counterparts.

— the shocking report by the World Wildlife Fund that a Mangrove forest on 30 acres in Kakapir near Manora have been indiscriminately felled to make way for construction of houses and responsible officials like Sindh’s chief secretary; the Karachi Port Trust (KPT) and Sindh Revenue Board have remained passive bystanders. People say despite efforts to replant mangroves, with an expansion of 107 hectares since 2010, the sea embankment remains under serious threat and urgent measures are required to combat this destruction.

— the order to convert the estate of Fatima Jinnah, Qasr-e-Fatima, which is commonly known as Mohatta Palace, into a medical and dental college for girls. People say the intention is good but surely another place/building can be found for the purpose as this one is a heritage site and will be ruined after it is turned into a medical college, while the present users, NAPA have preserved it and are using it for much needed promotion and teaching of art and culture.

— the many challenges impeding the advancement of quality education in the country which include lack of passionate and trained teachers; lack of access to high-quality schools; poor education infrastructure; school books in short supply; poor and polluted learning environments and a lack of the desired political and bureaucratic will to deal with the education crisis. People say instead of cosmetic measures that are a waste of time and money which all governments take during their tenure, something concrete should be done.

— tax culture, how it does not exist in this country and the fact that tax is collected by force mainly from the salaried class and indirect taxes levied on utilities, essential food items, fuel, etc. and not from the powerful super-wealthy who are getting richer. People say any government that comes into power after elections should make it a priority to impose taxes on those who can afford it, like landlords with large holdings and big business houses.

— the fact that doctors are often referred to as ‘life-savers’ and their services to the nation, especially during the Covid pandemic, cannot be ignored but there are some serious concerns about their attitude towards poor patients, which should not be ignored either. People say a common occurrence in all government hospitals is the mistreatment of patients by doctors and since not everyone can avoid going to public hospitals, they need to be functional and the doctors working there humane in their approach.

— the grim reality that successive governments have merely paid lip-service to the larger cause of facilitating lives of the general public, especially the underprivileged. People say whatever they promised in the name of change has been utterly misleading and just lip service, so either they lack confidence and the courage to transform their words into action, or maybe they lack vision but sadly, when it comes to a power struggle and their own benefit, they are quick to act. — I.H.