DAWN has carried a report about non printing and non availability of telephone directories.
1996 Telephone Directory was not provided in the whole area of a subscriber friend of mine on the plea these were on short supply. And of course concerned area telephone exchange which was to distribute was right in this because from main telephone directory department these were not being provided to exchange and frustrated people were naturally blaming exchange staff which was in fact innocent in this matter. In the mean time a news item appeared datelined Lahore that telephone directories were short due to some “mal-practice and irregularity” of vested interests.
A friend of mine friend one day found piles of crisp new telephone directories even sealed in bundles with a footh path seller. While official cost at PTCL customer service centres was Rs. 450/- this footpath vendor was selling on "clearance sale" at Rs. 75/- only. My friend purchased one and went to the protector of citizens rights Federal Ombudsman with a hope matter will be looked into from the point how the directories went for outside at a throw away price while there were thousands of subscribers were left un-supplied. PTCL against its usual always a standard reply that complainant was wrong on this occasion without even an objection paid Rs. 450/- of course from national exchequer and not from someone personal pocket. You need your skull re-examined from Mental Hospital if you are thinking PTCL or someone else at any level considered it to investigate the real dead dog namely how directories were sold on footh path at rhrow away prices while tit was short supply for genuine need. If footh path vendor was selling an itm of Rs. 450/- at Rs. 75 only that means hemust had received it in say Rs. 30 from whoever smuggled out or shiwed in PTCL file having been distributed like our Qaraz Uttaro donations. My foolish stupid friend later re-approached that he did not purchase it in Rs. 450/- rather merely at Rs. 75/- hence refunded over and above Rs. 75/- paid to him.
This stupid and non sense crazy citizen did not accept Rs. 375 HAZE MIN FAZAL-E-RABBI and returned it thus breaking the tradition and thus endangering the future welfare of politicians and bureaucrats. I wonder if some Jayala or Matwala would realise the danger in this return and for the protection of politicians and their key-operators’ (bureaucrats) rights will take up this matter against this stupid non-sense citizen for violating the tradition, which tantamount conspiring against the interest of the politicians/bureaucrats and for creating a bad example. There could, and of course there are many many other such stupids and it is time Jayalas and Matwalas should check this trend.
Whether it is a democracy or a local government, a socialism or heavy mandate business remains the same.
J.S.A
[email protected]
23 August 2000