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“Don’t pick the call from unknown numbers. It can be a call of death,” read a widely circulated text message on cell phones, which buzzed the country on Friday, April 13. This later proved to be a hoax but authorities and operators remain unable to trace the motive for this mischief.More than 50 million subscribers across the country fell into confusion when a series of SMS messages beeped on their phones throughout the day and pushed the authorities and cell phone operators to come up with statements in an attempt to clam their subscribers.
“I received an SMS from my class fellow early Friday, which asked me not to attend call from Warid, Telenor and Ufone,” said Osama Ashab, 20, a third-year engineering student.
“And by 1700 hours I have 37 such messages from different my friends, class fellows, relatives and family members. I didn’t follow that but obviously forwarded those to at least 50 other people in my contact list.”
The way rumours spread, it inspired every segment of the society as hundreds of phone calls attended in different newspapers and media organisations questioning the authenticity of such threatening messages.
The situation also triggered concerns among cell phone service providers and the authorities concerned to react and clarify the situation.
“There is no virus found in mobile phones anywhere in the country causing damage to human body,” said a spokesman for the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA).
He said the PTA took serious note of such messages and lodged an inquiry into but no such effects were found.
“Technically speaking, there is no computer software virus which affects human health,” said the spokesman. “The computer viruses are software programmes that affect computer software, operating systems and do not harm any living being. We appeal to the mobile phone users not to believe such rumours.”
However, the PTA statement worked to some extent but the messages took a life of their own when it was added in its text that local television stations had run a slide about the deaths of nine people in Punjab who attended calls from Warid, Telenor, Ufone and a 14-digit landline number.
“Initially there was a flat message that virus-loaded calls are causing death to those attending these calls,” said Asim Aslam, who received more than 20 warning messages.
The new rumours appeared amidst growing concerns growing among cellular users after the federal government issued policy guidelines for installation of cellular base station antennas (towers) in residential areas, terming it harmful for human life and health.
However, the cellular companies, annoyed said that they sensed something fishy behind the fresh campaign against cellular service in Pakistan which is gaining popularity with each passing day as its total subscriber base crossed has already crossed 50 million mark.
“There is no such track record ever exist and any clue related to such virus which after receiving a call harms human life causing to death and nothing of this sort occurred globally as well,” said a spokesman for Ufone — the second largest cellular service in the country with more than 11 million subscribers.
“We are surprised that how could people believe in such rumors ,” said Syed Hasnat Masood, Director Communication of Telenor.
Software experts agree with the cellular officials to some extent but suggest the mobile phone handsets can be utilised as carriers for software viruses, used for value-added services by the companies.
“The cellular communication is based on electro magnetic waves,” said Adil Firdousi, a computer engineer. “The only thing which poses danger is level of frequency, on which one talks to other. If it is manipulated and is increased to a certain limit it can be dangerous and harmful for human health.”
However, health experts suggest it cannot be deadly.
“No, it can never be deadly,” said Nasim Aziz, a neurologist. “It can damage your cell phone or harm one to some current wave but can never take a life.”
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