People are talking about —

-- how heads of institutions; ministers and government officials need to ‘be on one page,’ as they say, on making statements so that they are not contradicting each other and making a laughing stock of themselves. Take for instance the recent amnesty scheme where it was stated categorically by some officials that there would be no extension, while others said there would be and because electronic media plays up such confusing statements, uncertainty and irritation were rampant on D-Day.

-- the advertisement in certain newspapers of Sindh that sanitary workers were required, then stated that they should be of the Christian faith. People were shocked to see the language used as well as the fact that a particular community was only considered for the job which is a necessary task that has to be done and why should it be reserved only for non-Muslims. Authorities should rethink this policy as isolating persons on religious grounds is insensitive and hurts feelings.

-- the announcement by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government that factories manufacturing plastic bags would be shut down and how it has been hailed by environmentalists as a great step towards saving the environment from further damage. People say this is a step in the right direction and though factory owners make an uproar over the ‘loss’ of their livelihood, there should be no extension in the date of closure as unfortunately it has become a practice to ‘give in’ to pressure tactics.

-- the constant news that children in Thar are victims of malnutrition and death takes its toll on a regular basis. People say political leaders of Sindh should concentrate on providing better amenities to the marginalized areas like Thar because the long, expensive advertisements on electronic media that depict the so called ‘development’ that has taken place are just an eyewash and the money spent on this propaganda should be utilized to give better amenities to the habitants of the area.

-- the fact that the Pakistani team which won the Asian snooker championship by beating arch rivals India arrived home and were not accorded the welcome they deserved. People say it is regretful that only cricket is given any importance by the government, while other sports and extracurricular activities are relegated to the dustbin of neglect because all sports require determination and a passion to win laurels for the country and when sportsmen deliver the goods, they should be recognized in some way.

-- the uproar in all sections of society about paying taxes and how traders and other are trying to resist the new rules and regulations. It is a well-known fact that when bad habits are ingrained in people it is difficult to reform them, especially since they were allowed a free rein during the rule of former governments that followed a policy of pampering people for the sake of political expediency and hoping they would turn a blind eye to the misdeeds of the rulers. – I.H.