I have not received any telephone directory for more than twenty years
KARACHI: There was a time when shops in Karachi’s main Saddar bazaar would open by 9.30am — now they don’t open before noon. There was a time when a father would not smoke in front of his children even if they were married adults, and now there is no such inhibition. Let me take you all back to the early 1990s. I remember reading a news item, which said that because of a printing problem, telephone directories were not being issued to telephone subscribers. A week later, I found brand new telephone directories in bulk being sold on the footpath by an old books’ vendor. I bought one set, and this was the first time that the Karachi telephone directory had been published in three separate volumes. That was the last time this happened because since then, I do not remember any telephone directory being published.
I was undeterred and filed a complaint with the Federal Ombudsman that I had to purchase my directory at Rs450 (at the rate of Rs150 each). The Ombudsman registered my complaint for formal processing and later I was informed that orders for reimbursement of Rs450 to me had been issued. That was more than 20 years ago. Since then, I have not received any telephone directory, and this is unfortunate since this is the right of every telephone subscriber. Now again, I sent a complaint to the Federal Ombudsman on the issue. However, this time, the result was different and I was told that my application was not going to be entertained because the grievance was “not specific and was general in nature”. Alas, how times have changed.
Muhammad Javed
Published in The Express Tribune, November 10th, 2014.
Like Opinion & Editorial on Facebook, follow @ETOpEd on Twitter to receive all updates on all our daily pieces.
