IN our country, materialistic things are valued more than a person`s competence, knowledge and education. People are treated nicely or poorly on the basis of their vehicle, dress and appearance. Let me share a recent incident to illustrate this.

In Islamabad`s G-11 sector, we liked a building and considered purchasingan apartment there. A few days later, my father, a Supreme Court lawyer, and elder brother went to check the place.

When they reached there, my father remained seated in the car, and asked my brother to go inside and inquire about the apartment. When my brother reached the building`s reception, he approached an employee there to seek the relevantinformation. The man assumed that my brother was just a random visitor `wasting` his time. He dismissively asked him to come some other time as it was a Sunday.

Hearing this, my brother returned to the car. Just as he was about to sit inside, the same person came running towards him, telling him that the apartments were in fact available. Obviously, he had seen the car and therefore changed his attitude.

This incident reflects the sad reality of our society, where people are valued not for who they are, but for what they have. In the past, people`s education and intellect used to determine their status in the eyes of society. People generally treated others as human beings, but now the situation has changed drastically.

Instead of harbouring resentment towards one another, we should learn to live in harmony. Rather than fighting and dividing, we should take pride in our wealth by sharing it with our relatives and friends.

We must bring back the unity and sincerity of the past rather than showing arrogance and fostering hatred among ourselves. Let us try to live in harmony.

SafeerKhan Chaman