People are talking about —

The mind boggling fact that many residents of tribal areas come to the bank with bags full of money, including dollars which they buy in the market, with just about everyone maintaining a US dollar account and even local payments being made in dollars. People say visitors wonder as to how they have managed to accumulate so much money and how some banks have even opened ATMs for withdrawing dollars to facilitate their clients, making it convenient for them.

— the manhandling of media professionals during raids to arrest certain persons, and how these incidents show the routine disregard by law enforcers for the safety of journalists during such events. People say that journalists who cover such events risk a lot to report what is going on so the public is aware, so it is hoped that the authorities will ensure journalists’ safety during such raids as has been firmly urged by the senior members of the media fraternity.

— the news that the ele­ctronic media regulator has started a countrywide operation against cable TV operators airing illegal channels, warning them to immediately stop airing content that has been declared illegal or proscribed by the authority. People say while this is a good step, why is it that authorities wake up after many months have gone by to take notice of illegal activity of any kind instead of; nipping it in the bud,’ as they say, because this ‘late latif’ attitude invites criticism.

— the launch of a new video streaming platform, PTVFlix, with an extensive library of programs that aims to become Pakistan’s answer to other streaming platforms, enabling users worldwide to access the national televisions vast content library. People say PTV has produced content which has became a national treasure, remaining a part of the collective memory of the nation, so this will enable the youth to connect and older audiences to reconnect with content that left an indelible impact on countless lives.

— the pressure being created about the Karachi zoo’s location in the heart of the city and the disturbance to the inhabitants due to environmental and noise pollution, while discussing the option of shifting animals to the open air Safari Park. People say the zoo’s prime land will be a jackpot for real estate sharks, so residents must resist this change, as they live in cramped spaces surrounded by trash; a dearth of clean drinking water; clean air and no green areas.

— the shocking news that gunmen stormed a school in the northwest, killing seven teachers and gunning down another teacher from the school in a separate attack. People say students were taking exams when the incident occurred, so apart from the sad fact that the teachers were gunned down, it can be well imagined what a terrifying experience it must have been for the children and how this traumatic act of violence will affect their life from now on.

— the media reports that initial figures generated by the ongoing census put the country’s population at 235 million, a whopping increase of 27 million or 12.98 per cent since 2017, while there is already a hue and cry over the official data being supposedly well below the actual numbers. People say by the time the final count is announced, we may have an astounding shock to deal with because the impact of uncontrolled population spike inevitably falls mainly on health and education sectors. — I.H.