People are talking about —

— the declaration of assets by political entities contesting the upcoming elections and how shocking it is to see the disparity between their wealth and that of the public that votes for them, most of whom live on the fringes of poverty or work hard to make both ends meet. People say unfortunately only the rich can afford to run for office in this country but at least they should look after the needs of the people in their constituencies.

— the misleading news items being shared on social media by those who do not think about the veracity or reason behind them before forwarding such stories. People say some of the news items are so ridiculous that it boggles the mind how anyone can even think they are true, while the most shameful fact is that certain individuals are willing to play politics and spread false rumours about someone who is critically ill.

— the young Pakistani student of NUST who developed an automated bicycle renting system for use by students. Known as Cykiq, the app allows users to book cycles for inter university transportation, with the added convenience of a CyWallet for payment and unisex bicycles especially made by a manufacturer for easy use. People say we have many such talented persons who made life easy in many ways with their technological skills but unfortunately they are not recognized by the government.

— the fact that the general public has become more aware of its rights and is now questioning the politicians about why they should vote for them when they have not bothered about their constituencies for the last five years. People say it is for the first time that politicians are facing angry and disgruntled voters and this is something that may prove beneficial for the country, as political entities have been taking advantage of voter’s ignorance and apathy for ages.

— the shortage of potable water in the country and how the authorities are least concerned about the situation since they manage to get enough because of the positions they hold, while the general public suffers. People say small dams and reservoirs can be built wherever there is a stream and a fine example of this is in Kalam, where a small dam supplies water as well as electricity to the town, making it the envy of other places where streams exist.

— the tight spot the caretaker government is in since it has to dole out millions to a foreign company after having lost a lawsuit in the international court that deals with breach of contract. People say besides the initial settlement, a sum in default fees has added up to almost a billion rupees and if this is not paid soon, the foreign company will have the right to sue Pakistan in any country and take control of the assets it holds there.

— the case of a female driver who got annoyed and reacted by physically attacking a traffic warden because he asked for her mobile phone number. Now since this requirement has become the norm in nearly all public dealings, either the government should declare it mandatory and pass a law, or then the requirement should be done away with, since females are a bit wary of giving their number even though unwanted calls can be blocked. I.H.