People are talking about —

— the hundreds of young Pakistanis who are stepping into the world with degrees that are rich in knowledge but underutilised within their own country. People say for instance, criminology is a valuable and advanced discipline but it has yet to find its rightful place in law enforcement agencies as the degree is not in the eligibility criteria. This omission limits the potential of graduates and deprives our institutions of trained individuals who can contribute to modernising crime prevention and investigation.

— the pathetic conditions that prevail in most of our zoos and the plight of innocent animals – chained, dusty elephants; listless lions; lifeless cheetahs and many other animals suffering from malnutrition, unhygienic small enclosures and left at the mercy of ignorant zoo keepers. People say this kind of treatment is cruelty and very disturbing for those who care for animals, while it leaves a bad impression on children who will probably think it is the right way to treat animals.

— the ‘pink tax’ – the sneaky extra cost on products for women - from razors to deodorants and basic healthcare products, women are charged higher prices for the same items. Many brands add Rs10 to Rs25 more to items specifically designed for women, though there is no difference. Women already face wage gaps, societal barriers and financial constraints, yet they are expected to spend more on essentials. This is yet another example of how gender-based discrimination is embedded into our daily lives.

— the new ‘smart’ meters put up by the electricity companies and how consumers thought that at last a transparent system had been installed so they could actually see how much electricity they had used but they have been fooled again! Bills with blurred meter readings are still being sent so the consumer cannot see anything, while the taxes are as confusing as ever and since it’s very difficult to get anomalies fixed, consumers must pay up or electricity will be cut at source.

— the historic building, Kharis House, located in Clifton's Bath Island area which was illegally demolished during the Eidul Fitr holidays, despite being officially listed as a heritage structure as the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) granted demolition approval in October last year - a move that the Antiquities Department claims was unauthorized. The demolition was deliberately delayed for months after approval and the final act was carried out secretly and in haste during the public holidays to avoid scrutiny.

— the fact that facilitation centres in universities are meant to provide basic facilities to the students but it seems they are there just to extract money from them. An ordinary pen outside the university can be bought for Rs30 compared to Rs60 at the so called facilitation centre inside the university. People say the administrators do not show any interest in facilitating the students or easing their problems and needs and are there just to make money. — I.H.