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[Pakistan] Telephone: a luxury that can be ill-afforded
[the recent increase in the telephone call charges in Pakistan has
prompted a lot of criticism. note that a local call now costs Rs 2.63
per unit (including 25% central excise duty which is collected by the
PTCL). a unit's duration is 3 minutes; multi metering is order of the
day. calls made to ISPs' servers are however not multi-metered.]
Telephone: a luxury that can be ill-afforded
RECORDER REPORT
KARACHI (July 8) : A resident of North Nazimabad has decided to end
his 35-year-old relationship with the PTCL because a telephone could
not "take precedence over butterless bread".
Aijaz Sherwani wrote a letter to the Divisional Engineer of the North
Nazimabad Telephone Exchange, asking that the telephone installed at
his residence be disconnected, because he could not afford it.
"I take this opportunity to congratulate you on your achieving
success after success in augmenting the revenue income of the PTCL,
nay of the Government of Pakistan by frequently increasing call
rates; latest being Rs 2.10 per call and line rent to Rs 235 per
month. For sure this is not the last, Sherwani wrote.
"This is perfectly in keeping with the much trumpeted Government
policy of making life of a common man comfortable and smooth.
"Since (the) telephone cannot take precedence over butterless bread,
which too becomes costlier with every Budget and frequent Mini
Budgets. I cannot but request you to be kind enough to disconnect my
over 35 years old telephone No. 663 2775 from my humble residence."
"The worthy Executives of PTCL, VIPs and VVIPs in the high corridors
of power," Sherwani wrote, "are all having a bunch of free telephones
by dint of their exalted status. What pinch can they feel of such
frequent and frivolous increases in the rates of telephone call and
line rent nay of all necessities of life -- from bread, water, energy
to petrol?
"Thanks for the precious time in going through this request of mine --
a commoner, and hope this request will be acceded to immediately," he
concluded.
Copyright 1999 Business Recorder (www.brecorder.com)
http://www.brecorder.com/story/S0010/S1004/S1004102.htm
