Disregarding the prevalence of the digital era and the ever-increasing technological advancements, the need for cellular gadgets has increased drastically in Pakistan. With the country evolving as a war zone, rife with weapons, bombs, bloodshed and crime, there is a dire need to be in constant communication. If something bad happens, one should always be just a phone call away.
It is said that communication gadgets are a blessing in disguise, but that may not necessarily be true for a country like Pakistan. An ad in a ‘C’ grade evening newspaper reads as follows: “You are young and peppy but alone. Want to make sizzling and beautiful friends, then what are you waiting for …We are here to meet your desire. Numbers of school, college and university girls are available at very humble prize. Our contact number is…!”
Not only are girls in Pakistan unsafe leaving the comforts of their own home, but are now also being stripped off their privacy by having their cellphone numbers plastered all over the internet, made easily accessible to anyone.
It is certain that a majority of female inhabitants in Pakistan have faced an uncomfortable, stressful situation involving an often illiterate stranger on the opposite end of a call, begging them for their ‘frandship’ and bombarding them with text messages on a daily basis. Being able to subscribe to cheap text message packages and acquiring mobile phones as cheap as 800 rupees only heightens this predicament.
Most phone numbers are leaked from easy-load shops, common to the lower class population with only a few bucks on hand and the desperate need to place a call or send a text. These numbers are sold from anywhere between 10 to 100 rupees, providing anonymous stalkers incomprehensible pleasure at extremely low-cost. The government seriously needs to intervene to curb this growing nuisance and enforce cellphone ethics and privacy protection laws as soon as possible as the issue continues to get out of hand.
What is mobile number? What is your smile number? Quick ladies, kar lay tu hide number!