People are talking about —

— the report that a murder convict has been living a 'lavish life' on the upper floor of a little known private hospital in Karachi's Gizri area on the pretext of medical treatment. People are shocked at how the rich and powerful manage to worm their way out of punishments and trouble in connivance with those who are responsible for seeing they pay for their crimes, just by greasing palms, while the underprivileged rot in badly equipped jails.

— the unfair observations by critics, especially opposition members, that nobody tried to stop tourists from going up to Murree when it was snowing heavily. People say besides the warnings on print and electronic media, there are dozens of video posts on social media showing how many persons, including local dwellers, tried to discourage vehicular traffic from going forward but were abused and manhandled, with some drivers even shouting words like, "we will be the ones to die, so what is your problem?"

— the aerial firing that was indulged in by so called 'defenders' of the law after the Lahore bar elections held recently and the video that went viral on social media, proving that this community cares two hoots about the bad example they are setting. People say ordinary citizens are caught, punished and incarcerated for similar behaviour but no law enforcing agency or authority acts against them because they have become a law unto themselves and thumb their noses even at courts.

— the report that the Kite Flying Association has formally announced celebration of the 'Basant' festival next month with fanfare, in spite of a complete ban already imposed by the administration because of the accidents that occur when kite flyers use metallic string. People say instead of confrontation and depriving everyone of the joy, 'Basant' celebrations should be organised in proper places with strict rules as it is a traditional way to celebrate the advent of spring, especially by the public.

— how unsettling it is to hear news of incidents of quarrels or fights amongst university students, causing disruption and closure because Pakistan is already lagging in literacy. People say such events not only present a poor image of the state of education in the country but also discourage students from pursuing higher studies and one of the main reasons for these incidents is the absence of checks by the authorities and university administration on the activities of student societies and movements

— the news that the government has finally woken up to the fact that family planning is the need of the hour, what with the country's unchecked growth in population rising by leaps and bounds but unfortunately contraceptives are also on the long list of tax exemptions that are being withdrawn. People say this gives the impression that those who are running the country are unaware of what's going on and they need to get their act together for the sake of the country.

— the report that the Punjab government is deliberating on launching Pakistan's first electric tram service in Lahore and how surprising this idea is considering the fluctuating state of electricity in the country. People say the trams will require a regular supply, so how will this be managed when the public suffers in the summer with regular loadshedding - unless the provincial government has a secret method, like batteries, that will keep the trams going despite no power. --- I.H.