KARACHI, Oct 14: The distribution of long-awaited telephone directories has come to a halt once again as it recently dawned on the Pakistan Telecommunication Company (PTCL) that the new phone directories did not contain the contact numbers of the Nazims who came to power recently following the local bodies elections.

This piece of news will, in all probability, rub more than 800,000 subscribers of the PTCL up the wrong way, who could be forgiven for thinking that just when the phone utility looks poised to issue telephone directories, the process is put on ice for one reason or another — though invariably due to a well- meaning factor.

Official sources told Dawn that on receiving the second lot of 100,000 telephone directories from two printing presses after Aug 20, the PTCL had woken up to the fact that new phone directories must contain contact numbers of the Nazims.

Few people would quarrel with the nobility of the PTCL’s intentions, yet the decision meant another inevitable delay.

The general-manager of the Southern Telecommunication Region- II, Abdul Sattar, said: “The Nazims representing the local government took an oath of their offices on Aug 14. We thought that it was in the interest of the public that the new telephone directories contained the contact numbers of the Nazims. You cannot criticize us for making it convenient for the public to contact their elected representatives.”

While no newsman, howsoever high-minded, can challenge the PTCL on moral grounds, he may lament the fact that the inclusion of the contact numbers of the Nazims in the telephone directories has entailed another delay. He may take what the PTCL spokesman said about the delay on the face of it — that “eight to 10 days were wasted in procuring Nazims’ numbers” — but he could be forgiven for questioning why the printing presses have not yet issued new telephone directories. How long, after all, does it take to add a new colour page to a telephone directory? More than a month?

Mr Sattar’s promise about fast distribution of telephone directories is, however, music to sceptical ears. “We will presently receive 10,000 telephone directories every day which will be distributed fast.” Sounds very familiar?

In June another well-intentioned reason had prevented the PTCL from issuing new telephone directories. On June 20, the PTCL had announced that it would issue a new telephone directory after a gap of five years. The directory would consist of three sets and would be delivered to PTCL subscribers free of charge by linemen.

It also promised, somewhat too solemnly, that it would continue to print telephone directories from next year on an annual basis.

When the PTCL backpedalled on its promise, it sheepishly conceded that “previously the new directory had entries up to March 31, but under the directives of the PTCL chairman the entries have been carried up to June 2001. This has meant extra work. Now the directory will come out in the first week of August.

The PTCL officials admit privately that the distribution of telephone directories would not be as facile as envisaged. “A three-volume set of a telephone directory weighs a little less than 5kgs.”