The Eid holidays came and went, and the people looked for all sorts of reasons and avenues to just relax and enjoy the rare cause for celebration. That their happiness has turned into tragedy and extreme inconvenience has saddened but hardly surprised observers. The Eid holidays have seen as many as 23 people plunging to their deaths whilst swimming in the deep, turbulent waters of Karachi’s beaches. The body count continues to rise. The waters of the Arabian Sea are particularly strong and tumultuous this time of the year because of the Monsoon season, making it very dangerous to indulge in swimming, as this incident has demonstrated. The Sindh government is seeking to impose Section 144 in Karachi, which forbids any public gathering of more than three to four people, in an effort to curb the rising ‘tide’ of drownings. It is being reported that the swimmers did not listen to the good sense of onlookers who warned them from swimming out into troubled waters because they were looking for a way to celebrate their jubilance this Eid. On top of this sad incident, the main Murree Road was blocked by massive traffic jams over these holidays because of the deluge of people looking to travel up north for some respite during the heat of this Eid season. Traffic jams have lasted for more than four hours at a stretch with holidaymakers now being turned back at tollbooths on the orders of the government due to the lack of arrangements to deal with the mad rush. Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar has reportedly discouraged people from travelling out of station and taking to the beach in the light of these recent instances. What does all this tell you? Both these stories reek of one sad fact: the people in Pakistan have absolutely no respite and options for some relaxation and enjoyment, even during annual festivals. Whilst the Karachi beach drownings are a combination of lack of common sense and people opting for the only recreation they can find, the Murree Road traffic blockages tell of extreme laxity on the part of the government of not providing extra arrangements for respite so that pressure is taken off the usual sites. The people of Pakistan cannot be expected to just sit at home, facing load shedding and heat, face international travel bans and now even local travel restrictions. Some measure of safety, such as lifeguards and warning systems must be placed at beaches to prevent such tragedies. Murree is a popular destination for almost all Pakistanis but the pressure must be taken off it by other scenic places being given a makeover to render them tourist-friendly. Otherwise, the people will have no other option but to avail whatever limited choices they have, with inconvenience and even tragedy the outcome. *