Another gift of the government on eve of Eid-ul-Azha

In what appeared to be an ominous trend by the government, Interior Minister Rehman Malik hinted at shutting down cellular phone networks on the eve of Eid-ul-Azha.

The government made it habit to shut down cellular services on major holidays or each time there is a threat of terrorist acts.

As the interior ministry has information of possible terrorist strikes during the festival, plans are now afoot to suspend cellular services in parts of the country over the coming holidays.

The mobile services were also blocked on the eve of Eid-ul-Fitr and suspended in Balochistan on Independence Day. However, it is still yet to how effective has this practice proved so far?

While it is true that no major act of terrorism took place during Eid-ul-Fitr when the shutdown was enforced, the measure failed to curb the widespread violence that occurred in major cities last month on the day officially dedicated to protesting an anti-Islam film.

Shutting down cell-phone services is equal to addressing the symptoms, not the disease. There was indeed life before cell-phones; but so deep is their penetration in society that the devices have become essential communication tools that cut across economic lines.

Equally true, shutting down cellular services particularly on occasions like Eid spoils the festivities.
While terrorists do use cell-phones to coordinate and carry out attacks, millions of common citizens also use the devices to check on loved ones during these times.

What is more, militants are constantly adapting their methods and unfortunately often stay ahead of law-enforcers where technology is concerned, so it is unrealistic to assume blanket bans on cell-phone usage during certain periods would hinder their activities too much.

A more intelligent counterterrorism approach is needed. The easy availability of cheap, unverified SIMs needs to be checked, while the relevant authorities need to ensure that all connections are properly registered.

Inconveniencing the public through methods such as road blockades, pillion-riding bans and cell-phone shutdowns hurts common people more than the terrorists.

Short URL: https://www.newspakistan.pk/?p=34470

Posted by Faisal Farooq on Oct 26 2012. Filed under Opinion, Pakistan. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.