THIS refers to the news item ‘Suspension of cellphone service irks its users’ (Jan 16, Islamabad edition). I agree with the reporter’s assertions that cellphone service suspension disrupted the lives of the residents of the twin cities.

The difficulties that people face in the absence of mobile service cannot be enumerated. Think of people who require emergency medical assistance but cannot do so, parents who cannot contact their children, businessmen who cannot contact their customers and patients in hospitals who cannot communicate with their family members.

I will share with the readers an incident. A neighbour of mine passed away on Jan 14, and it became very difficult to inform the relatives and friends as cellular services were blocked. Similarly, arranging the transportation for graveyard was another issue. After this horrific experience, I am considering installing a PTCL landline number and also urge my relatives and friends to share their PTCL landline number as cellular service suspension is now becoming a norm.

I also urge organisations and businesses to have landline numbers for the convenience of the people.

FAHAD RAZZA     Rawalpindi

A nuisance

AS first responders, we train the public to deal with emergency situations like road accidents, choking, heart attacks, bomb blasts, drowning and snake bites.

Part of our course deals with prevention and anticipation of an emergency. Knowing which emergency numbers to dial for fire brigade and ambulance is usually the topic stressed during the training.

From our work and personal experience in the city of Karachi, the only fully equipped and trained ambulance service can be called by dialling 1021.

Imagine you are involved in a road traffic accident on the Expressway at one o’clock in the morning and your back is injured, and you cannot move. However, you can reach your cellphone while trapped in your vehicle. Imagine having ‘no network’ when you desperately dial for help.

That is when you realise Rehman Malik took this measure for your own safety. This happens only in Pakistan.

Cellphone networks are blocked and the public suffers at the cost of ‘safety measures’ for certain special people. The common citizen pays for the inefficiency of government functionaries. Civil liberties are curtailed daily under the code name of ‘security measures’.

DR JAHANZEB EFFENDI Founder, First Response Initiative of Pakistan      Karachi

One-way communication

MOBILE phones have now become a necessary part of our life, more important than the watch on the wrist and as important as a wallet in our pocket.

However, terrorists are also utilising this facility to commit gruesome crimes. In order to counter those acts of terrorism, the government has to block this important mode of communication on various occasions and festivals. This frequent jamming is causing a lot of misery to the public. The people have been denied this facility during emergency, accident, illness, etc.

Newspaper reports are witness to that.

There must be a way out. Instead of completely blocking the cellular networks, selective jamming of one-way communication can be done by blocking the incoming calls but allowing communication from mobile to landline phones to continue unhindered.

This would go a long way in alleviating the suffering of the public on such occasions and at the same time will serve the purpose of preventing the misuse of mobile phones for acts of terrorism.

I hope that the authorities concerned would consider this suggestion which is not an unachievable task in this high-tech era.

DR TAHIR ANIS     Karachi