By eliminating these options, these users will be deprived of significant utility and cost-effectiveness.
KARACHI: I would like to lodge my severe protest at the recent steps by the PTA to disallow cell phone operators from offering call/SMS bundles, thereby denying consumers cost savings. The reason put forth — that these bundles are “contrary to moral values of the society” — is illogical and downright outrageous. It is akin to saying that all subscribers of these bundles are immoral and use them for dubious purposes!
Despite their misuse by a few, these packages are mostly used by good, sensible, decent citizens of Pakistan to keep in touch with their parents, brothers, sisters, daughters, sons, cousins, friends and other relatives. By eliminating these options, these users will be deprived of significant utility and cost-effectiveness. It is also unconstitutional to deny people the option to choose freely.
If these bundles are to be blocked, then why stop there? Why not block Skype, Facebook and Gmail for offering free voice and video chat to their users? How about we take it a step further and just block the entire internet? In the end, it is not the function of a democratic state to intrude into the domain of determining the morality of a particular service. Whoever uses these SMS/call bundles is responsible himself/herself for any detrimental consequences that may follow. I, therefore, request the PTA to reconsider this decision in the larger interest of the nation.
Dr Danish Shah Tariq
Published in The Express Tribune, September 1st, 2013.
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