People are talking about —

— the unfortunate elderly citizens who have families but live in secluded rooms ignored by their families because of family issues or conflicts, making an old-age home a better alternative which is avoided due to social stigma. The Senior Citizens Bill 2021 passed by both houses is yet to be implemented as senior citizens are not high in the priority list of any government though they form a significant part of the population and need to be looked after.

— the mascot - which can be any human, animal, or object - that has been designed for Islamabad and how the newly launched logo seems like it was designed by a novice. People say a modern day mascot should be memorable, recognisable and original and if we really want to boost tourism in the city, we should first ensure traffic rules are followed; stop fleecing people in the name of inflation and do something about the lack of civic sense.

— the report that law-enforcement agencies are cracking down on criminals and how this policy does not deal with the problem because crime cannot be eliminated by killing or jailing criminals. People say rehabilitation is necessary to change the status quo as presently we are simply addressing criminals and not crime, which is a socio-economic phenomenon, so the government must come up with ways to address the root causes of crime such as poverty, inequality and lack of access to basic amenities.

— our education system, which produces rote learners and disillusioned young people due to the outdated syllabi and poor teaching in educational institutions, both having little value and failing to meet the crucial demands of the market, while cheating has also become widespread in the system. People say the two problems are linked as exams based around memorisation are more prone to encourage cheating, so it is imperative for all stakeholders to take interest in this matter and address it effectively.

— how honour killings remain prevalent because of certain patriarchal norms in society that make anyone who challenges the will of the family or some archaic taboos, a potential target, with the perpetrators of the crime enjoying impunity and given a free hand to deny people, especially women, their rights, The ruling class has neglected to address this problem as sometimes they are involved or have ties to those who have, compromising the ability of the state to take decisive action on this issue

— the report that the government plans to introduce pension reforms due to IMF pressure, a weak economy and other financial constraints, in addition to experts predicting that if the present scheme is continued, it may well collapse the country’s economy and the pensioners would be left penniless. People say the new pension scheme should not affect the old pensioners who are too aged to have an alternate source of income and should begin with present employees and new pensioners.

— the story that a chairlift used to cross the river in a remote mountainous region became stuck due to a rope malfunction but a tragedy was prevented. People say many individuals rely on such hazardous chairlifts as they are the only means of crossing rivers and hundreds of lives are at risk, so proper systems need to be installed and authorities need to address the matter as a priority to prevent further tragedies, such as the horrific chairlift incident in Battagram last year. — I.H.