People are talking about —

-- the hue and cry by the opposition and protests by the workers against the decision to retrench the work force of the Pakistan Steel Mills, which the government has planned to privatise, seeing as how it has been shut for the last five years. People say political parties ruling the country over the years have used its major assets to grant favours to their favourites without caring what the end result would be of over staffing these valuable assets.

-- the bad example that was being set by the provincial Special Assistant on Information and Culture, who was widely condemned because she did not wear a mask while in public. People say the criticism worked because now she is seen wearing one and so should all others who do not, including occasionally the PM, to set a good example, as health authorities repeatedly appeal to the public to wear masks to avoid the spread of the COVID-19 virus.

-- the small gestures and actions that show the real face of the political parties who claim that they are fighting for the betterment of the poor as two videos that have gone viral on social media have exposed the reality. People say the manner in which two persons have been treated -- one who served tea to a political entity while he was making a speech and the one who dared to touch this politician’s daughter – is quite distressing.

-- the report that the KP Assembly has passed a bill limiting the weight of children's school bags, with a different weight limit for each class in accordance with the nature of their time tables and also imposing a fine on any school found not implementing the order. People say it’s about time such a step was taken since even young children had to unnecessarily carry all their books to school every day and all provinces should follow the good example.

-- the ‘resignation from the assemblies’ conundrum that has been launched by the PDM alliance and how the narrative keeps changing on a daily basis. People say while the alliance may have been created to oust the present government, from past experience and video clips, it is a well-known fact that the two major parties do not trust one another to the extent that this move requires and the general public is waiting with bated breath to see what happens next.

-- the fact that a few political parties have private militias, something which is not permitted but which has been allowed to exist because the present government, as well as previous ones, did not establish their writ and turned a blind eye to what was going on for the sake of political expediency. People say according to media reports these militias have been put on the ready to challenge the law enforcing agencies during the opposition rallies so there is bound to be trouble.

-- the re-launch of the Karachi Circular Railway that had fallen victim to neglect and land grabbing due to the many past administrations neglect and couldn’t care less attitude about the public facility. People say it is heartening that the KCR is now functioning and that too with modern facilities but the general public should be educated about how to use and not despoil them because unfortunately anything used by the masses ends up looking shabby in a few months. – I.H.