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Thursday March 28, 2024

People are talking about —

June 30, 2019

-- the Super Savari tour operator of Karachi who also organises Diversity tours for students to help spread awareness about different faiths and citizens of the city by taking them to places of worship and explaining salient facts about the buildings and their purpose. Since there are many misconceptions about religious facts which cause fear and hatred, people say this is a wonderful way to educate youngsters to be tolerant and understanding, as we are all Pakistani no matter our faith.

-- the intended demolition of the capital cinema building in Peshawar and how tearing down the structure is a violation of the Antiquity Act passed in 2016. People say all over the world historic sites are preserved as they are tourist attractions but the land mafia of the country wants to destroy these beautiful buildings and construct ugly commercial plazas in their place, so local government and the Directorate of Archaeology and Museums should thwart their actions.

-- the shocking discovery made by the Sindh Water Board that some of its own employees and policemen were involved in the water scandal in Karachi as citizens were going from pillar to post in search of water because there was a ‘shortage.’ It turned out that these crooks were supplying dairy and other farms of influential persons with water meant for the citizens of Karachi, while filling their pockets with the ill-gotten wealth they received.

-- the unnecessary debates that go on in social media about actors and actresses who play roles in television dramas and films and how those who pass negative comments should not watch them if they do not like the portrayals. People say the concept of ‘live and let live’ appears to have been completely wiped out from our dictionary of vocabulary and we are quick to condemn others behaviour without first looking at our own faults.

-- the wheeling and dealing; blaming and shaming that goes on in our assemblies as legislators from both sides of the political divide confront one another and how they are likened to fish markets. While the opposition has vowed to give a ‘tough time’ to the ruling coalition, all sides should keep in mind that parliamentarians are elected by the people who want to see an improvement in their lives and not a daily ‘tit for tat’ show on TV.

-- the news that CDA is all set to demolish a green belt next to a girls college because an influential person, who has already occupied a multi kanal area belonging to the civic authority near his house and beautified it to utilize as a garden, appears to have influenced them. While it may be okay to give the occupier credit for beautifying the area, he does not own it and he should either surrender it or open it for the public.

-- the manner in which our cricket team goes from ‘heroes’ to ‘zeroes’ in the blink of an eye because they have lost a match and how this indicates that we are a country of people whose emotions are always on a roller coaster swing of up and down. While the game of cricket is a passion with a majority of persons, they should realise that cricketers are also human, have their good and bad days and are also hurt and depressed when abusive language is used against them. – I.H.