People are talking about —

-- the public appeal made by one of the opposition leaders requesting the law enforcers and administration of Punjab not to act against the PDM rally which was to accompany a prominent PDM female leader to the accountability office. People say while politicians have the right to call on their supporters whenever their services are needed, they have no right to ask those working for the government to refrain from doing their duty to ensure law and order.

-- how the unnatural alliance between two prominent political parties is falling apart after a period of artificial bonhomie and false ‘friendship.’ People say this was bound to happen as over the years these two parties have been at loggerheads with each other and the public have been reminded of this acrimony by the many recorded clips seen on both live and social media, although both parties ignored these reminders just for the sake of political expediency.

-- the wise decision by the PPP to cancel all rallies that were being organised to mark the death anniversary of its founder as this step will certainly be appreciated by many persons, especially health workers and if only the party had not participated in the ill-fated alliance rallies it would have been appreciated more. People say ‘better late than never’ and other political parties should follow this good example at least until the pandemic crisis is over.

-- the Pakistani film which has won numerous awards at umpteen festivals in many countries but has not been given the go ahead to be screened in cinemas in its own country. People say unless there is awareness about certain issues and they can be discussed and solutions found to resolve them, we will not progress and join the developed countries of the world, so those in charge of making such decisions should not succumb to pressure from a certain group of individuals.

-- the import of COVID-19 vaccine at high prices and how importers will make money from what has become a necessity. While the argument for and against the import of expensive vaccine goes on many people think that if the rich can afford to pay for it, the government should allow its import with tax so that the less expensive vaccines that are coming in through other sources can be utilised to vaccinate those who cannot afford the higher priced one.

-- the letter written by the Bagai family in India to PM Imran Khan requesting him to stop the dismantling of the historic Bagai palace in Dera Ismail Khan because of its historic significance and are even willing to contribute towards its restoration. People say the land mafia is hell bent on destroying heritage sites around the country so ugly plazas can be erected and there should be a dedicated Archaeology department to stop this destruction as wishy washy steps do not work.

-- the shocking ignorance of the general public about why certain days are marked/celebrated in our country -- a sad reflection of the lack of education among the masses. When an anchor person asked men and women why March 23rd was an important day, not one of them got the answer right, with most answering with silly replies like “because we have a parade;” “many bombs exploded;” “motorway was inaugurated;” etc.: so a public service campaign on TV may help. – I.H.