People are talking about —

-- the fact that many analysts are calling the new accountability law not just an ‘NRO’ but an ‘NRO-Plus’ and how it also appears the same to the general public, many of whom are now using the term, ‘U turn’ to discuss this reversal of action against corruption. People say when a government decides to shift its stance on something that is so important and on which the opposition has pressurized it for long, it show weakness of purpose.

-- the astonishing news that over a hundred thousand beneficiaries of the BISP were government employees and how this system of poverty alleviation has been misused not only by them but other persons who are not eligible for the program. People say for the political parties of the opposition to create a hue and cry about the system of distribution being overhauled so that only the really needy will benefit, is political expediency and not genuine concern for the underprivileged.

-- the rightful concern shown by the NAB officials over the ordinance which has been passed by the government that the business community will not be ‘troubled’ by them. People say a lot of tax evasion and under invoicing is practiced by some persons of this community and why should it be left off the hook when others are being nabbed for illegal practices, so it seems rather unfair to single them out for favouritism when accountability is the rallying cry of the government.

-- how dreadful incidents of mob violence are growing by the day as members of the public take the law into their own hands and mete out ‘justice’ to those whom they manage to catch trying to rob a place or an individual. People say instead of taking pleasure in beating these wrongdoers and taking pleasure in doing so, the correct thing to do is to handover the culprit to the law enforcers and let them deal with the problem instead of using violent means to teach them a lesson.

-- the shocking revelation by a former Pakistani fast bowler, who stated that his team mates refused to share food with one of their team members because he was not a Muslim. People say it is this negative, prejudiced mindset that has led to wrong perceptions about Islam and when such demeaning acts take place in their organization, relevant authorities should have the courage to take a firm stand and discourage such behaviour, unless they too subscribe to this shameful conduct.

-- the fact that civic authorities of the capital had not paid the salaries of sanitation workers for two months and how it shows the careless attitude of the officials. These employees do the difficult task of keeping the city clean and that too in difficult conditions as they have to rise very early in this freezing cold to do their work. People say if the salaries of higher cadres were delayed there would be much agitation but these poor, voiceless persons are ignored. – I.H.