ITH all due apologies, we Pakistanis have a tendency to take just that. We do not travel from point A to point B in a straight manner but choose the most convoluted option. Take the tragic incidents in nearby Kasur. What should have been a straightforward win for the provincial government and the law enforcement agencies, turned out to be a farce. The heavyhandedness shown to the victim`s father by the provincial law minister and the switching off of his microphone by the chief minister during the press conference were rather bewildering. The applause for the law enforcement agencies at the end of the press conference entirely uncalled for under the tragic circumstances and in the presence of the bereaved father. While this was the working of the Punjab government, a psychologically disturbed editor of a prominent news magazine felt there was some artistic value to the entire incident.

Conversely, a quite prominent television anchorperson came out with charges of an international conspiracy involving child pornography and the dark side of the web. The allegations of multiple foreign currency accountsandotherchargeshavesofar been completely debunked. If the things were not confusing enough, the victim`s father`s claims that he and the family were behind the arrest of the criminal and not the law enforcement agencies that had earlier let the perpetrator go despite arresting him on two occasions. What is the actual story, who can truly say under the prevailing circumstances? The truly sad and disturbing thingunderlying the entire episode was the lack of urgency in the earlier cases, approximately eight and the alleged criminals who were supposedly killed earlier in police encounters. If it were not for the media, social media and pressure by the superior judiciary, this case may have also been relegated to dustbin of our criminal system.Take another example of this convoluted approach. What on the surface appeared to be a straightforward orientation function for new students at the Punjab University, turned into something else entirely. The ceremony, hosted by one religious student organisation, allegedly came under attack from another provincial student organisation. Since the clashes erupted last Monday there have been more than 225 arrests, including many under the Anti-terrorism Act (ATA). The unrest continues but most of the ATA charges have been dropped. There have been a few dem-onstrations over the weekend against the undue influence and excesses by a certain religious party especially against provincial minority students.

Another example of not taking the straight path: take the case of various housing societies, including supposedly low-income housing schemes in Lahore. Most seem to have connections with senior lawmakers, which are being continually unmasked, it seems, everyday. These links exist on both sides of the political divide, extending all the way to the chief minister. These societies and associated irregularities are now under scrutiny by the relevant authorities and it appears that there will finally be some reckoning or so one hopes.

Finally turning to the mother of all that is convoluted: if life is good and you have no pressing problems, why not try some construction. Build, renovate or add to your house and see how it goes. Recently, one had the privilege! You would expect that the contractor you employ would take on the job, at a certain price and at a reasonable profit margin. You would be sadly mistaken.

The dealing with various suppliers, procurement of raw material and subtle manoeuvrings will leave you stunned. There is an inbuilt twist at every step, designed to cheat.

Whatever our vocation or objectives, we seek a shortcut approach. Naturally, this entails things not being exactly above board. This leads us to carve a very muddled path for ourselves with scant regard for the consequences, whether moral or ethical. What this does for society generally is that it creates circumstances where the only prevailing order is that of disorder.-AM Lahori (AmLahori@gmail.com)