People are talking about —

— the large quantity of garbage lying all over the country and how much of it is composed of plastic which is harming the environment as well as the health of the public. While it may be understandable why the government does not close down plastic bag producing factories because hundreds of workers are employed in their manufacture, an alternative needs to be found soon or the country's majority of people will be buried under plastic in exchange for the hundreds employed.

— the illegal slaughter of migratory birds who arrive in Gilgit-Baltitistan during the warmer season and how it is causing concern among conservationists. The question arises that why the government is not taking cognizance of this activity by local residents, who kill the birds indiscriminately using only some for food, while the rest are killed for sport. People say it is a sad fact that these activities go on because the concerned authorities are hand in glove with the perpetrators.

— the report by the National Commission for Human Rights (NCHR) that foreign funding of some educational institutions is resulting in these seats of education working against the ideology of Pakistan and promoting their own agenda. People say while this news is disturbing, what is even more so is that the authorities who are responsible for keeping an eye on the education sector either are not aware of this fact or are purposely turning a blind eye to the problem.

— the banning of over the counter sale of antibiotics in Islamabad and how it may be a good step but is not practical since these medicines will be available openly in sister city Rawalpindi. People say any ban that is good for the health of a nation is welcome but to impose a ban in one city sounds ridiculous and in any case, there are numerous bans on different activities but no one bothers' to see that they are implemented.

— the constant bickering that takes place between members of the government and opposition and how this is detrimental for the country and welfare of its citizens. People say the opposition should stop its cry baby ranting and accept the fact they lost the election and those in government should refrain from getting their hackles up and responding in a tit for tat manner to the accusations hurled at them and get on with the job of governing the country.

— the autobiography of popular cricketer Shahid Afridi and how the batsman has revealed that he was actually born in 1975, and not in 1980, which the official records state. People say leaving aside this confession which will change the order of many 'records,' it is no wonder that many sports bodies in different countries question the ages of our athletes and sportsmen when they travel abroad in the junior category, for instance the under nineteen cricketers, who all look over age!

— the growing number of parents, especially in tribal districts, who refused to have their children administered with the polio vaccine and how this is a bad decision both for the children as well as the country. People say while gullible parents may give negative reasons for depriving their children of this precautionary measure it may result in a growing number of handicapped persons in future and the media should refrain from extensively highlighting rare cases when the vaccine gone wrong. -- I.H.