Strange means

What blocking of cellular services actually displays is the authorities have no strategy, ability to combat terrorism.

We have adopted strange means to deal with terrorist threats, which are centred more on the cosmetic, rather than the real. As Eidul Azha comes around, according to a report in this newspaper, the interior ministry is once again considering a shutdown of cellular services from Friday night till Saturday — the day on which Eid falls. It is virtually impossible to understand how this bizarre measure will curb militants, who can just as well plan attacks using means other than mobile phones. The whole scheme, also enacted a few months ago on Eidul Fitr, causes huge inconveniences to ordinary citizens as well as massive losses to cellular phone companies, which reported around Rs600 million in losses when phone services were suspended on Youm-e-Ishq-e-Rasool last month. It seems, though, that people matter little to the government. The fact that Eid is an occasion when many people want to talk to family members and friends makes matters worse as a result of this measure.

Apparently, the cellular service suspension is to be put in place in Karachi, Lahore, parts of Balochistan and possibly other parts of the country as well. What this actually displays is that the authorities have no strategy or ability to combat terrorism. This is why they resort to the absurd, perhaps only to demonstrate that something is being done when, in fact, there is no well thought out plan. Such tactics are transparent and simply make the authorities look foolish, adding to their lack of popularity. In today’s age, with dependence on these devices at an all-time high, people have reported being caught up in serious emergency situations without being able to seek help. A woman in Lahore reported the horror of seeing her husband suffer a heart attack without being able to seek help on Youm-e-Ishq-e-Rasool.

The benefits of such measures, which affect millions of people, need to weigh in the costs of such actions. At present, we can see few benefits, if any, and if they do exist, they should be put forward more clearly. Otherwise the plan should simply be abandoned and replaced with better preventive measures.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 25^th, 2012.