People are talking about —

— the ‘disappearance’ of PIA crew members in Canada and how it has become more frequent of late because there appears to be no effort by either government to catch these deserters and send/bring them back to face charges, thus giving other potential deserters the courage/incentive to try this illegal manner of migration. People say it is a shame that these deserters forget about their families and the agony they endure by using these illegal methods.

— the lack of public toilets in all cities of the country and the fact that citizens, especially women and the disabled, face a lot of difficulties while they are out and about. People say while there has been an effort by some civic authorities, the toilets are often dirty, but all cities are in urgent need of public toilets that should provide clean, safe, accessible, hygienic and convenient facilities to the people with adequate privacy and peace of mind.

— the exorbitant raise in the monetary requirements to run the offices of the president; NA, Senate and other state offices/residences, details of which show that, despite unprecedented economic conditions, they have received budget increases ranging from 22% to 63% higher for the coming year. These expenses are considered charged expenditures, which the NA does not have the right to vote on and the government is taxing everything from infant milk to cars to raise the funds.

— a video posted on a social platform in which a student is seen filming his board exam paper page by page despite the invigilators being present. People say that mobile phones are strictly prohibited inside examination halls and it is clearly mentioned on every paper as well as the students’ admittance cards, so the responsibility lies on the invigilation staff, especially the superintendents, to make sure that students do not take their phones inside the examination hall.

— the fact that billions of rupees are spent on the education of medical students in public-sector universities but they either opt to move abroad for greener pastures or remain out of the healthcare labour force. People say after getting heavily subsidised medical education, they opt not to serve or even pay back, so the government should introduce compulsory service for those who study in public-sector institutions so that they pay back what the country has spent to make them doctors.

— the Reko Diq project, expected to generate $1 billion in annual revenue and create thousands of jobs for the local population despite its potential, has been hindered by legal battles and lack of investment. The good news people say is that the government has recently taken steps to revive the project, with the aim of transforming it into a major mining hub by harnessing its potential so Balochistan can become a major player in the global mining industry and bring prosperity to its people.