People are talking about —

—- athlete Haider Ali who made history by winning a gold medal in the discus throw competition at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics Games, becoming the first Pakistani to do so, making the country proud. People say this is a great achievement as he suffers from cerebral palsy and the government should encourage persons like him with monetary help while private organisations who have plenty of funds should sponsor them because most of them have the talent but cannot afford the training.

—- the horrendous fire that engulfed a factory in Karachi and resulted in the death of many workers because there was no fire escape and the door to the roof had been locked. People say this criminal action by the owners needs the attention of those government officials who are responsible for seeing to the safety of such premises and an enquiry should fix the responsibility on those who are guilty of negligence, while factories in congested areas should not be allowed at all.

—- the distribution of rear view mirrors for motor cycle users and how it does not appear to be the right thing to do when all departments say they have a shortage of funds. People say images of traffic wardens fixing mirrors on bikes was revealing as none of the bikers wore masks or helmets which are compulsory, as most bikers die of head wounds when there is an accident, so they should have been fined and the money used for buying the mirrors.

—- the report that the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) informed the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on Friday that shortage of staff was hampering the recoveries of about Rs1.8 trillion. People say if such a large amount is not being recovered because of shortage of staff then the government should get its act together and appoint extra persons and if there is a shortage of funds then maybe it can use some of the recovered money for this purpose.

—- the heavy rains in Karachi and how once again they have exposed the pathetic state of the city’s infrastructure as far as drainage and standing water are concerned and huge losses have incurred to businesses and homes. People say while most of Karachi’s citizens suffer they still object to unlawfully constructed buildings on and along the large drains that pass through the city to be removed because they paid some corrupt officials who allowed this to happen.

—- the fact that those persons living abroad who wish to remain in touch with Pakistan’s culture and history are shocked to find that Pakistan Post has no bank account in any foreign country through which non-residents can remit payment in Euros or dollars directly to a philatelic bureau in Karachi or Islamabad. People say it’s no wonder they complain that the Pakistan Post is not up to the mark, so it should look into the problem and improve its performance.

—- appreciating the Punjab government for launching the ‘Women Safety App’ in order to provide women throughout the province a sense of security when they step out of their homes for it is a wonderful innovation to protect women from different crimes such as harassment, torture, assault, etc. People say countless women in Pakistan are victims of such crimes and with the help of this app, women will be able to seek direct help and guidance easily from police via call or messages. —- I.H.