People are talking about—

— the disenfranchisement of a significant part of the population, aka ‘women,’ in many areas of the country, especially during the voting process and how this indicates that the mindset of the male members of their family has not changed and they are either ignorant of the law or choose to ignore it. People say all political parties must ensure that everyone will get to vote during the next election and also encourage gender equality in their manifestoes.

— the manner in which all political entities, especially the top guns of each party, claim that the entire population of Pakistan will support them when the time comes for a showdown as it’s a well known fact that every individual has his/her preferences and each political party, big or small, has its share of well wishers. People say political opinion is divided even in families and politicians should refrain from making claims that make them sound egotistical and insincere.

— the beautifully decorated ‘Christmas Train’ that travelled from one end of the country to the other to promote peace and harmony and how this fact was highlighted in foreign media more than it was in Pakistan. People say negative news is repeated on all television channels but this positive undertaking was ignored

for some reason, even in

the print media, which is

sad because we need to show the good along with the bad.

— the growing number of child abuse incidents taking place and how this horrific trend needs to be noticed as a social problem and taken care of immediately by the authorities. People say it is quite disturbing to know that children are not safe from abuse in educational institutions, their neighbourhood and even in some homes and there should be a

concerted effort by the

government and NGO’s to stop this criminal behaviour as it traumatises children forever.

— the crackdown on places serving or manufacturing food products that affect the health of consumers because of the unhygienic conditions in their outlets.

People say it is horrifying to see the dirty utensils and rotten ingredients that bakeries, eating places and

so called factories use with the mindset that ‘what

the eye doesn’t see - the heart does not feel,’ presenting their products with

‘eye candy’ appeal, unmindful of the ill effects and

just eyeing the full cash register.

— the disturbing report about the diminishing population of the inhabitants of the Kalash valleys and how Pakistan will lose a rich and centuries old culture if the ‘eroding’ of the lifestyle of the Kalash continues. People say pressure from different groups;

underdevelopment and

marriages which are not made in heaven are all

contributing to this decline and efforts should be

made to encourage, not

discourage, the Kalash

to realise that their

traditional customs are unique and should be preserved.

— the policy of the Punjab Education Endowment Fund (PEEF) which has an unnecessary clause that requires parents to pledge their salaries are less than Rs15,000 - regardless of which school the children are attending where PEEF funds have been allocated for scholarships. Parents say such policies encourage people to lie and adopt corrupt practices because even a labourer gets a minimum wage of this amount and for them to declare they are receiving the same is not kosher.