People are talking about —

— the manner in which petroleum ‘disappeared’ from the market after the price was reduced because greedy entrepreneurs were eager to fill their coffers with illegally gained wealth. People say it is quite shocking that even when the country is going through a difficult period, these unscrupulous persons are only thinking of themselves and it is this attitude which makes the good citizens among us wonder whether we are a nation, or a large body of selfish individuals living together.

— the fact that while the court restricted the government from taking action on the sugar inquiry commission report for the next ten days, it also issued directives for the product to be sold at the rate of Rs70 per kilogram during this time. People say that unless such orders are forcefully implemented by the government, profiteers are unwilling to comply and any item of consumption by the public just disappears from the market or is sold at a higher rate.

— the sad fact that while the government has banned the use of plastic bags, only responsible citizens or organizations that care for the environment are using alternate means, while plastic bags are being freely used by all small shopkeepers. People say it is unfortunate that the government has no will to enforce its writ when it issues orders or imposes a ban and gives in to the demands of a section of the public because of political expediency.

— how the Prime Minister ignored SOP’s when he visited Larkana instead of setting an example so that the public is motivated to follow the rules. People say unfortunately all our leaders, whether from the ruling party or the opposition, are very careless when it comes to the issue of ‘protocol’ and do not request the authorities that the presence of dozens of personnel should be minimized while keeping security and the SOP’s in mind.

— the unfair quota system that is used to select candidates for various positions and how it needs to be changed to give children of a lesser god the opportunity they deserve. People say a candidate who has lived away from his original domicile and received the best of education and then registers his domicile in a remote area so he can benefit from the quota system, deprives candidates who are also from the same place but have not had the same facilities.

— the manner in which more and more English phrases and words are being used in Urdu news bulletins, leading to the growing ‘murdering’ of the Urdu language. People say while it is acceptable that languages ‘grow’ and evolve with the addition of ‘new’ words, this blatant use of English shows that those who write scripts cannot be bothered to find the appropriate Urdu word/phrase for a particular English one and it should be discouraged.

— the manner in which members of the Opposition are blaming NAB when some of their senior political entities were diagnosed with COVID-19 after attending hearings at NAB headquarters. People say why is it necessary for these politicians to show up with dozens of supporters, throwing rose petals and shouting slogans, when they can easily attend hearings with a security detail and then leave as quietly as they came, unless it’s to show how popular they are despite their diminished stature. — I.H.