Chowrangi

Almost all the cellular companies in Pakistan are offering attractive late night call packages that are quite popular perhaps for the reason that they are easy on the pocket. One of the reasons of fame for such packages is that they help people in making nationwide calls and talk with relatives or friends for hours and hours easily. On the other hand cell phones nowadays have become fashion statement and symbol of independence for our youth that mobile phone helps them to develop their own language and social groups away from the snooping eyes of their parents. It is privacy and not mobility that matters.

The unpleasant effects of such packages were long ignored just to generate revenue for cellular companies and taxes for the government but finally someone raised voice against it. Members of the Punjab Assembly unanimously passed a resolution banning late night packages offered by mobile networks at cheap rates declaring them detrimental to the future of youth.

It is worth mentioning that off peak hour calls are always relatively cheaper but the late night packages are almost free. One can talk for an hour for just Rs3 to 7 at night while during the day the call charges are Rs1 to 3.5 avg per minute. Companies have marketed these packages with a bang. Some of the taglines are Jazz raat shru baat shru,Zem Infinite Craze, Djuice jagtay raho, Talk all night long etc.

Not all of them but youth has certainly availing the facility of late night call packages (which are in effect usually from 11pm at night to 7am in the morning) and spending sleepless nights which is affecting their studies and even in some cases they could not attend their colleges and schools in the morning. Probably Wasi Shah has written for them,

Sari raat ki jagi ankhain

College main kia parhti hon gi

The ban itself is a good decision but will it be the utter solution to help youth realize what their moral and social obligations are? The most contentious idea behind these packages is the timing but is blaming the telecom companies the right thing to do? After all it is business strategy to attract customers. Parents are equally responsible. They should keep eye on their children’s activities, what kind a friends they are making how they are progressing academically how they are spending time.

Now days the youth is much mature and have more exposure and more understanding of things. The responsibility falls over to children of how better they understand the life around them. Certain priorities must be set according to the age and these priorities should never be compromised. Staying up at nights and fight through long working days will definitely affect your health, education and professional life.

Other posts by Hina Safdar

• Sans consumer Protection law on Consumer Rights Day - March 15th, 2010
• PCB confused On Players Ban - March 11th, 2010
• PCB Crackdown on Former Captains post Aussie Tour - March 10th, 2010
• More than 80,000 cell phones snatched last year in Pakistan - March 6th, 2010
• Farmville another reason to be on facebook - March 4th, 2010
• Pemra wants to hear it from you - March 3rd, 2010
• Basant and the Kite Plight- To be or not to be - February 22nd, 2010
• Happy Anniversary to our beloved Democracy - February 18th, 2010
• Google Buzz: Is Google Social Networking Tool A Twitter Killer? - February 12th, 2010
• Why Afridi Bites the Ball? - February 1st, 2010