CALLER IDENTIFICATION: I recently subscribed to a facility by a cellular service provider to identify unknown callers. However, when I asked for the name of two callers, one of whom had threatened me, all I got to hear was this message: “Thank you for contacting … With regards to your query, for security reasons, we cannot provide this information upon request. Please visit your nearest … franchise or experience centre for further assistance. For any further assistance, please let us know.” Had the service been effective, fake calls would be nearly impossible.

Iqbal M. Nazar
Karachi

DEPRIVED PROVINCE: The shortage of gas has disrupted daily life across Balochistan. Families struggle to cook meals, heat their homes, and have access to hot water during freezing temperatures. The situation is particularly serious for farmers and rural communities that depend on gas for both domestic use and agricultural activities. Many households are forced to turn to costly alternatives. Local businesses and small industries suffer from irregular gas supply, leading to reduced productivity, closures and rising unemployment. Moreover, the widespread use of unsafe heating and cooking methods has increased the risk of fires and carbon monoxide poisoning. This crisis underscores the urgent need for improved infrastructure, fair distribution policies and transparent resource management.

Fatima Imam
Singanisar

DEAFENING NOISE: The blaring of loudspeakers and illegally modified silencers of motorcycles and rickshaws really make life unbearable. For residents living along main roads, this has become a curse. Children struggle to study, patients cannot rest, and ordinary people are denied even the most basic right to peace. I have tried to raise this issue more than a few times through the Chief Minister Punjab Complaint Portal, but all these complaints have yielded no tangible results. The silence of the authorities stands in sharp contrast to the deafening noise we are forced to endure daily.

Durreshehwar
Dera Ghazi Khan

Published in Dawn, February 7th, 2026