Dr. Amna Mahmood (IR Expert): India is never in favor of regionalism. All the regional organizations, including SAARC, ASEAN and others, are proponents of regional integration in terms of economy, trade and cooperation but India is always creating hurdles in this regard. India with its hegemonic designs wants to keep the neighboring countries under pressure. It is India that not only creates troubles with its neighbors but also avoids peacefully resolving these issues. New Delhi was acting as a puppet during Trump's government in the USA, but apparently there would be pressure on India now with Joe Biden in power. US media and public have been openly talking about discriminatory policies of present Indian government towards minorities. There is need to put more international pressure to force India to respect international laws and UN resolutions.

Dr. Khurram Iqbal (IR Expert): Rise in Hindu extremism has badly tarnished Indian claim as being world's largest secular state. Even Mahatma Gandhi was the first victim of Hindu extremism when he was killed by an RSS activist. Initially, Indian congress appeased the RSS militants, but after 2010 these radicals became out of control. Now the Indian state institutions, including Supreme Court and others, are under a strong influence of this militant organization. The low-caste Hindus are also the victims of Hindutva ideology along with other minorities. Another strategy of Hindutva mindset is not to harm the Christian community as it may result in loss of European support. India has always supported extremism in the neighboring countries like Mukti Bahini in East Pakistan and Tamil Tigers in Sri Lanka. Pakistan also provided support to Sri Lankan government to combat the challenge of terrorism. Indian government also provided support to Hindu extremists in Nepal in order to destabilize the country. I can confidently say that not only Pakistan but other regional countries are also affected by Indian state terrorism. Some world powers are trying to counter China due to its rising status and India is being used as a puppet in this regard.

Dr. Hassan Abbas Zaheer (Medical Expert): Number of COVID-19 cases have been increasing recently. Previous wave of the pandemic in Pakistan had less severe impact unlike other countries. With the emergence of second wave, unfortunately, people have adopted careless attitude and are not following the precautionary measures. This resulted in an increase in number of corona cases. So far, there is limited coverage of covid vaccine in our country. The government has allocated significant funds for the purchase of vaccine and it must be ensured that the common people have maximum access to the inoculation.

Dr. Waseem Khawaja (Spokesman, PIMS Hospital): It is unfortunate that corona cases have been increasing lately. People are requested to follow the guidelines issued by health experts. Wearing masks, frequent washing of hands and maintaining social distancing are vital to prevent the fatal disease. Although, cases are rising but people must not panic. The government is making all out efforts to ensure timely availability of corona vaccine to the masses. During first phase of COVID-19 vaccination, health workers were prioritized due to their important role at the frontline.