KARACHI ( MEDIA )
Members of the Sindh Assembly (SA) believe poverty is the second name of saving mobile phone balance through missed calls.
Like few other parts of the world, mostly in third world countries, it is commonly used in Pakistan a free way to nudge another person with pre-agreed messages like ‘call me back’ or simply a ‘hello, what’s up’ message. Some call it poor man’s free message. Daily Time report on World Telecom day.
A definition says, “A missed call is a telephone call that is deliberately terminated by the caller before being answered by its intended recipient, appearing as a ‘missed call’ on the receiver’s cell phone.”
Poverty in Sindh has forced its people to engage in missed call ‘facility’. However there is always ‘risk factor’ involved in it, as chances are there the receiver would pick the call before you end it.
“Lot of people, mostly party workers from my constituency give missed call for their work,” said Pakistan Muslim League (N) parliamentary leader in SA Irfanullah Khan Marwat. Obviously short of balance is the only reason. They expect return call from me. This is understandable.
Pakistan Muslim League (F) lawmaker Nusrat Sehar Abbasi said due to poverty, people do attempt missed call to save the balance. Some even are of short of balance. They do expect from us we would call them back. This is understandable. This is their right as we are their representatives. However some even prefer free services like of whatsapp and viber for calls.
“Yes I do receive missed calls from my constituency. Once a person calls you, you cannot deny it. The record shows it all. Courtesy demands you should call him back, said Pakistan Muslim League-Functional (PML-F) MPAShaharyar Khan Mahar.
Sindh Prisons Minister Manzoor Wassan said, “The reason I get less missed call is because I pick them in no time”.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) parliamentary leader in SA Samar Ali Khan said we do receive miscalls from party workers and we do understand their financial problems.
Pakistan will award 3G and 4G licenses to all four cellular operators on May 22. Last month Pakistan to boost by improving communications, auctioned 3G/4G license through bids to four mobile operators and raised more than $1.1 billion.
The introduction of 3G and 4G spectrum in the telecom sector is expected to revolutionise the way subscribers stay connected. Country has more than 132 million mobile phone subscribers. One message surfaced on social media after the auction of technology when a boy tells her mother 3G and 4G technology has been introduced in Pakistan. Mother reply comes in interesting way “OK son, but electricity has not come yet.”
There is a service being provided by the Assembly to all its members that enables us to do 500 messages at a time free of cost. That is good way to communicate your messages in your constituency, said Nusrat Abbasi.
Asked about receiving forward jokes messages, “Yes in thousands,” she said in lighter vein. “However due to busy schedule, it’s hard to read them what to talk about forwarding them,” added the PML F lawmaker.
Because of mobile phone it has become much easier to keep in touch with people in your constituency. In past people use to leave messages through landline. But times have changed now, Marwat said.
Well I do receive forward joke messages but mostly I don’t read them, Manzoor Wassan said. Easy-to-access is sometimes make difficulty. Sometimes we are in Assembly session or business meeting and get calls from constituency, Samar Ali Khan added.