THIS is a country where women are harassed often, so one is not surprised at receiving similar treatment at the hands of mobile phone service providers.

I suffered a similar ordeal recently. I was receiving obnoxious messages from a number issued by the same service provider to which I subscribe. I requested the company to send a warning to the offending number — a service they usually provide. After many calls to its helpline I finally succeeded in having my request recorded after a representative asked me to contact the person in charge of the floor who happened to be a professional young woman. She immediately agreed to send a warning message. The point is that merely registering the complaint was an effort that took several days.

On a previous occasion, I was receiving bothersome calls from a number of a different mobile phone service provider. I called their helpline to register a complaint. But they asked me to call the Pakistan Telecommunications Authority.

In a country like Pakistan, men often get away with harassment. Women on the other hand have to struggle for justice and their rights.

Kainat Samad

Karachi

Published in Dawn, May 25th, 2016