A couple of days I was standing in F- Eleven Markaz Parking waiting for some guest in my vehicle at 11.30 pm.I saw a scary balloon boy counting his money and shaking head despondently.I called the boy and asked for the change of hundred rupees, the boy gave me change, I enquired if he was okay, he almost started weeping, tears rolled over his face. He told that he waspounded by police and they slapped him in the face and took away what he had earned in the whole day, and that they slapped him repeatedly for why the money earned was so small. Being beaten badly he was moaning with pain, after being released he could manage only one hundred in three hours. How shocking is the fact that poor people are assaulted every now and then by police, snatchingwhatever little money they have earned throughout the day.Poor peopleearning their livelihood through hard work arealsothrashed andin the name of security risk by lower police staff, and ultimately aredeprived of their money and sometimes of their belongings like mobile and watch.These poor people find nobody to come torescue them from highhandedness of policeand next daythey start afresh burning their blood and sweat to earn their living and this pattern repeats too often. The civil society members, leaders, pleaders, social workers also wink at these hard realities of life. When will time come when people living below the poverty line will be given respect in our country? IFTIKHAR SHAHEEN MIRZA, Islamabad, May 17.