Late Night Offers Under the Gun – Right or Wrong? You Decide
There is a lot of talk about the news that Punjab Government has unanimously passed a resolution banning late night offers/packages by mobile phone operators. Daily times reports it as follows:
Members of the Punjab Assembly (MPAs) on Tuesday unanimously passed a resolution banning late night packages offered by mobile networks at cheap rates in keeping with “moral and social values” and to “maintain the youth’s health and prevent vice”.
The resolution – tabled by opposition member Samina Khawar Hayat – recommends that the federal government direct mobile companies not to promote “cheap rate, late night packages that alter societal tendencies”. The document says, “Because of such mobile packages … the young generation, particularly students, remain busy texting and talking over the phone the entire night, without caring for their studies, health and sleep … these packages … [are not in line with] social and moral values and customs … a ban should be imposed on all such packages”. The resolution was passed unanimously, with the speaker praising Samina for tabling the document.
Another newspaper article says that Punjab Assembly has also requested the Federal Government to do the same.
Before giving an opinion, lets look at the possibility of the ban in accordance with law. First of all, this is just a resolution tabled in Punjab Assembly and for it to be made into law it has to taken up in the National Assembly. Then by practice, it will have to evaluated by the telecom regulatory authority, PTA. And in doing so operator’s license terms will have to be taken care of. All offers and packages coming from the telecom operators are the product they offer to the consumers and the licenses issued by the Government of Pakistan does not restrict operators from providing such products.
It merits mentioning here that these operators have paid hefty amounts to acquire such licenses. With this in place operators have the right to earn with in the limits of the license. To amend these license proper regulatory steps will have to be taken and in this case operators will also have to be compensated.
Its worth noting here that the MPA who presented the bill, Ms. Samina Khawar Hayat, belongs to PML(Q), the ruling party in the previous Government. If this matter is of serious concern then it should have been taken up at the time of when her party was in power and when the late night offers actually started coming in picture.
Now, coming to my opinion about the matter. First we all know and agree to the fact that every technology product has its uses and misuses, its up to the consumer on how to use it. We all know how internet can be misused, does it mean we ban it. No, but control on its use and discourage the misuse. Imposing a ban, will affect the revenues of the telecom companies and indirectly will pull on the bread and butter of many.
The better way of doing the right thing right would have been to strategically revise the promotion and advertisement policy of these products/offers.
The telecos could have acted smart earlier and not come up with the name ‘Late Night Offers’ (LNO). ‘Off-Peak Hours’ could have been a better name to promote similar offers. Its never too late they still can be implement this by revising the packages.
Another thing the Government can do on its part is restricting advertisements and promotions of such packages. This has been done with cigarettes, smoking is harmful for heath and not banned but its advertisement and promotions are restricted. Restrictions could be in the form of not allowing to air ads on TV of such campaigns during the prime time or outlaw direct promotions of such offers.
These were my two cents and before the democracy takes its revenge, I am here taking a democratic opinion in form of poll below.
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After going through the blog post and I am compelled to write and criticize the government and the carrier/operators due to its identity crisis which is plagued among the parliamentarians and marketers who end up coming with policies/packages touching the height of stupidity.
Marketers promote their packages as like they are being designed for the couples who are having affairs in schools / universities, here parents and the companies are equally responsible for promoting such a culture. Whereas indeed they have a higher role to assist the lower class of the country who are already fed up with other problems.
Parliamentarians should nod their head and instead of banning the packages they should come up with a step with the help of PTA to ask Operators to market the needs of poor rather than who have Valentine every other day.
Parents have a bigger role to play in growing up their children, I might be diverting from the topic but the problem lies in the basics, i.e. the prevalent identity crisis is spurred at an early school going age.
I remember when I was a teenager, I used to talk till 6 in the morning starting from 10pm. I switched to mobile based conversation once my dad recieved 22,000 bill from the landline. The girl was pratically broke and somehow I became one too. My parents told me relationships like these don’t last long, great counseling sessions, responsibility lectures and what not. I did not listen. Kept talking and spenidng. Time did not fly that fast the way credit kept flying. As usual, we got into an argument and things went wayward and soon we were on ‘Don’t Message Me Again’ type of stuff. I really wanted to reply ‘So who’s daddy is going to pay the 22K bill?’ since I was not worried about the girl, but definetly about the bill. But somehow I was nice (at that time) to say such a thing. Then I recieved an official paid mobile phone. The tragedy was that when I had a free phone, no girl on the radar. Then one fine mroning I realized why was I not using Internet means to communicate through all of this? – So this is a question to all – Why not Internet to communicate? What are some of the restriction you feel are coming into this mode of communicating?
The Punjab Assembly has passed this bill through which telecom
companies would be requested to take back their late night packages
offered to their customers. The Lady MPA who presented this bill in
the assembly was not right in her idea. I contradict with it. The
facilities are not always either right or wrong. Their usage makes it
right or wrong. For instance, a huge variety of Porn Sites are
available on the web which is accessable to anyone, anywhere in the
world. For the such reason, should we also block the internet service
in Pakistan as this may spoil our young generation? No! We should be
guided the right way of the usage of the facilities we are provided in
this world which has become a global village because of these
facilities. I request honorable Ms. MPA to review her idea.
We should seek the responsibility with in ourselves and correct ourselves. Companies make such products to meet the demands we make.
Agreed Babar, this is just a political drama to cover other issues of the nation. Why didn’t anyone come up with a bill to control the fuel price hikes?
What could will a MPA do by saying if its in his right he will allow cell phones only for limited people?
The responsibility lies with the parents and the youth. If the youngsters have things to do and responsibility then they will not stay up at night and make calls.
The mobile companies are taking advantage of a market demand. People can abuse their service in so many ways that you can’t control.
Anyway – this is political drama and such statements cannot be enforced.
There are two questions here:
1. Will the youth stop talking becasue of these LN offers being pulled back?
2. Will the Mobile Services Operators suffer because of this decision?
The answers:
1. No.
2. No. When the youth won’t stop talking how can the Mobile Operator suffer? This is a win for them. They will actualy benefit.
Height of stupidity … alot of flaws ….
How they going to implement this in first place?
How about concentrating on feeding the poors?
Isn’t it against the civil rights?
this is a very good and adequate step. Common isnt our generation already destroyed enough? ridiculous adds portraying young boys and girls talking late in the night “ami say chuph k”. What do these people want to do?
You want to talk? talk in times when people are awake.. not asleep.. please be a civilized nation we are not animals we are humans atleast prove to be so
I agree with Haris that this should have been implemented years ago. I doubt it will be implemented even now in true spirit as implementations are related to good governance which is not in Pakistan at any stage. Anyway I appreciate that our MPAs have endorsed or thought about this thing. National Values should have been the real priority and we should respect this. None of us would like our kids to use these late night packages..you know why.
It will not be implemented! this is for sure.. the telecom companies will bribe the government officials & the issue will be settle down.
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I dont agree with your reasoning. this should have been done years ago. why do you care so much about the revenues of the corporates at the expense of our youth? these corporates cannot be given free hand, legislations are done all our the world to curb the corporates.
the target of these packages is very obvious from their ads so would you like your siblings or children to be involved in such activities?
your poll statement was something like that this is not a proper solution. so what do you suggest would be a proper solution?
you cannot compare internet with these late night packages, because internet’s positives outweigh its downside. on contrary what are the positives of these packages? how many people other than the lovers use this package?
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