From the desk of Maria B

Hi friends,
While entering a busy shopping mall, I was pleased to see a big notice reading as “smoke free mall”. 

My euphoria dissipated in smoke the moment I stepped inside the mall. I was welcomed by a detestable smell of tobacco and not the aroma of food. I could see a large number of people, especially the youngsters, were freely smoking. No security guard seemed to care. To me, these smokers were guilty of dual offence. Firstly, they were polluting the environment, and secondly, they were breaking the law.
I know that this mall is fully covered by security cameras. It is not at all difficult to catch these culprits. Just for an experiment, try to steal a pin worth 100 fils from a shop. In less than five minutes, you will be caught and may be sent behind the bars for three months. Does that mean that the value of health of thousands of visitors of this mall is not even worth 100 fils? A crime is a crime, whether it is stealing a pin or violating the smoking ban. When you are lenient with the offenders, you are harsh on the victims.
Bye,
Syeda Maria