Immobile Communication

THIS year`s chaand raat will be remembered not forrecord sales orcarefree crowds. Instead, it will be looked upon as a social experiment in a country that is both more technological and less secure than it used to be. What happens when a public dependent on mobile communication is confronted with a mobile network shutdown in the country`s biggest cities on one of the busiest and most festive nights of the year? On the upside, smart-phone addicts looked up from their devices and were forced into human interaction and Pakistanis avoided having to deal with mass Eid Mubarak text messages clogging their cellphones. But they probably couldn`t greet their relatives abroad, coordinate with family members in crowded shopping centres or make plans for Eid day. It was a traditional festival upended instead ofenhanced by our dependence on technology.

On a graver note, a cellphone shutdown today cannot be taken lightly. It may well have been a necessary step to take in the face of terrorist threats that rely on these phones for coordination and as bomb triggers. But a move like this on such a busy night needs to come with effective public messaging. With little forewarning, imperfect communication about the shutdown once it had begun and thepublic`s inability to use phones to confirm what was happening, panic was the immediate result.

Even after television offered some information, the vague indication of security threats created ratherthan eased concern.

And there was no public awareness about how to get help in case of a medical or other emergency.

This may not be the last time Pakistani authorities need to take such an extreme step for security reasons (though that shouldn`t become an excuse for misusing this preventive measure, by jamming mobile communication during public protests, for example).

And there is only so much information about threats and steps taken that can be released without defeating the purpose.

But the public also needs to be informed, in advance, about how to communicate with the authorities during a shutdown in case of emergencies and about the importance of maintaining landlines. There also needs to be as much forewarning and explanation as possible without giving away too much. There are now few occasions of such public celebration in Pakistan, and even fewer that unite the whole country. Even as we struggle with terrorism and militancy, somehow we have to find a way to preserve the moments of celebration we have left.