RAWALPINDI - The wall surfaces, nowadays known as talking walls, of the city have turned into a popular mode of advertisement for masses which on one part marred the beauty of the city while on other this practice ensures bread and butter to hundreds of families belong to the business. Pindiites experience visual pollution of all sorts every day, but one would be hard-pressed to find a bigger eyesore than the graffiti splashed on walls. With heterogeneous messages of all sorts spotted along walls on all major thoroughfares. Well-wishers of different political parties, spiritual congregations and faith healers have all left their permanent marks on boundary walls, and in some cases, the announcements remain long after the event has taken place, such as slogans painted along Rawal Road inviting citizens to attend the last procession of Benazir Bhutto at Liaqat Bagh. For decades the walls of the city became an ideal medium of communication. Then there were appealing messages in support of jailed political leaders, expression of solidarity with empower leaders, welcome messages on the arrival of some important personality to the city, the conservative and condemning slogans of religious parties. There has also been anguish over the military operation in troubled areas, threats to those who murdered political activists of student wings, marks of appreciation for the city administrators. But it would be wrong to blame political parties alone for violating the sanctity of public and private walls. As any casual observer would have noted, walls are a favourite medium amongst advertisers of unbranded product manufacturers, traditional healers, and homeopaths. Wall-ads, as they are commonly known, are concentrated in Rawal Road, Saddar, 6th Road, Commercial Market, Saidpur Road, walls of residential houses located along IJ Principal Road, Murree Road especially the underpass walls, all the other major roads and streets and both entry and exit points in the city and even now on motorway. Keeping abreast of modern day developments, they now offer packaged advices and products with some unqualified guarantees. Such wall-ads have now become a fairly effective means of advertising, and have turned many unscrupulous entrepreneurs into millionaires. Stressed, dejected, frustrated, depressed and deprived common folks are forced to take notice of luring invitations by this tribe. Even though laws regulating all types of outdoor advertising exist, such as the Advertisement and Outdoor Signage Bylaws of 2003, the provisions are vague and enforcement almost non-existing. Wall-chalking has remained an unattended area for a sizeable period of time, confesses a senior official of Law Department of the City District Government Rawalpindi on the condition of anonymity. If there is to be any change, in Rawalpindi, the legal and statutory structure needs to be revamped, he added. Before implementing any reforms, a comprehensive survey should be carried out to identify where graffiti is most popular, along with introducing an effective regulatory mechanism at both town and union council level. Meanwhile, commercial messages should be charged and informal street artists, most of whom are self-taught, should be trained to sharpen their skills.