People are talking about —

-- the fact that politicians the opposition -- and a few from the ruling party -- state with conviction that their candidates will win in the senate elections, which is not the right attitude to have as nothing is certain as far as polling goes, so they should add ‘hopefully’ or ‘Insha’allah’ in their statements. People say then both sides accuse each other of buying votes, so it does make them look foolish in the eyes of the general public.

-- the report that a leopard spotted in Tharparkar district for the first time ever was killed by local villagers and how it could have been caught and rehabilitated to a safe location. People say the public should be educated how important it is to save wildlife and while the villagers claimed they had informed the wildlife department but it paid no heed, the department said a team had been busy attempting to track the stranded animal until this ‘unhappy incident’ took place.

-- the irregularities in an exam conducted by the Ministry of Law and Justice to recruit personnel for different posts and how it was shocking to see that the ID’s and admission slips of those who were participating were not checked, while the invigilators looked on as examinees used mobile phones and shared answers. People say either the exam was just to show that rules were followed and the positions were already filled, or it was carelessness on the part of the ministry.

-- the news that a member of a provincial assembly had married an underage girl and how it has spread like wildfire, with surprise and condemnation pouring in. People say it was only recently that a law was passed against child marriages after a lot of effort by various civil society organizations and if members of the government are going to flout it so openly, how can it be expected that the general public refrain from following this archaic custom.

-- the fact that despite it being illegal, GSM boosters are being sold and used by unscrupulous persons and these are causing disturbances as well as weak signals for mobile phone users in the area. People say while some mobile phone users are not concerned about this situation, persons like doctors and those who carry out other vital services and are on standby need a proper connection in case of an emergency, so this malpractice should be looked into by the regulatory authority.

-- how despite the many scams that unfortunately take place in the country, gullible persons are still taken in by those using fraudulent means to earn big bucks, the most common being promising overseas jobs to applicants and fake housing societies. People say while there has been a crackdown on fake housing societies, no notice has been taken of those offering lucrative jobs and there should be a system by which their credentials and licenses can be checked.

-- the shocking report that despite public knowledge about poverty and malnutrition, wastage of food goes on, especially at weddings and other celebrations because guests squander food by piling up their plates, then leave it half-eaten. People say such wastage should be censured strongly by those who are aware that many of our fellow citizens do not manage to eat two square meals a day and such wastage is a sign of callousness and disregard for humanity. – I.H.