I AM a student living with my mother and a younger sister in teh federal capital city, facing the harsh realities of life as my father had left us a long time ago. A family came to live as our immediate neighbours a few months ago.

Almost immediately, it started meddling in our affairs. We tried not to react, but that only allowed the family in question to get even more assertive. Things came to a point where the neighbours started throwing away our household items placed outside the front door.

One day I decided to have a word with them. I regretted having done that the moment I initiated it. The lady of the house and her daughters started calling me the nastiest of names. It was so bad that I started feeling pain in my whole body. Her husband soon joined the party, shouting at me like mad.

The block we live in is a complex comprising 12 units. While all this was happening, people came out to see what was going on. They remained onlookers, with not even one of them asking the family to stop that emotional as well as psychological intimidation. No one came even after the incident to console us.

I just want to ask our society if it finds this kind of objectionable behaviour justified or acceptable. Pakistani society is cruel, apathetic and callous. Our social values have gone down the drain.

Naira Eshaal
Islamabad

Published in Dawn, May 19th, 2025