People are talking about —

-- the mixed reactions to the shutting down of the Margalla Hills eateries which has divided the residents of the capital into two groups - one which cares more for the environment and the beauty of the national park, as well as the flora and fauna and the other for 'entertainment.' The point is there are dozens of restaurants, both big and small that cater to all tastes and the ones from the park can easily relocate but there is only one, beautiful natural park.

-- the confirmed fact that the ban on buying and using plastic bottles has not been enforced in most government offices, which, even if it was strictly implemented would not drastically reduce environmental pollution. People say even if, by some miracle, the ban is enforced in government offices, the majority of plastic bottle consumption occurs in private offices and restaurants, so to make a real impact the ban should extend to the private sector, while families should also be encouraged to do so.

-- the initiative to provide free heart health services to 5000 children launched by the Punjab government, which is good news but nothing will come of it because in reality, usually such announcements come to naught. People say there have been promises of 'free' treatment before but except for the fact that doctors do not charge fees, poor patients are expected to get expensive tests carried out and buy costly medicines from their own resources.

-- the fact that our education system produces highly skilled graduates but fails to provide them with meaningful employment opportunities and graduates get job offers with low salaries that are insufficient to cover basic living expenses. This financial strain compels many talented individuals to seek opportunities abroad. People say the government should offer jobs based on merit and foster partnerships between educational institutions and industries as bridging the gap between education and industry, Pakistan can better retain its talented youth.

-- a petroleum company in Daharki (Sindh) which has been in headlines for all the wrong reasons and is now exploring a well in the rural areas where it is recklessly disposing of the poisonous industrial wastewater in the nearby agrarian lands, causing severe health issues in the community. People say this is causing economic loss to the already deprived locals by making their agrarian land barren, however the company is not bothered and officials are ignoring this blatant disregard of regulations.

-- the fact that it is no secret that Pakistanis are among the most generous people in the world and billions of rupees are donated every year for individual and collective causes. People say while our charitable impulses are admirable, the lack of transparency that characterizes the distribution of these funds raises concerns as they have no knowledge of how the donations are being utilized - are they reaching the intended recipients, or are they disappearing into the pockets of intermediaries?

-- the truth, that as a society, we have been unable to shed our colonial mentality of according respect only to people who yield power, privilege and status. Even when people become teachers out of passion, their opinions are usually ignored by society, undermining the respect of the profession. People say if we truly want to emerge as a prosperous nation, we should follow in the footsteps of countries where teachers are treated with respect and are offered better benefits. -- I.H.