Invention of cellular phone has eased lives of people to a great extent. Since implementation of law has always remained a problem in Pakistan, various business companies have multiplied their profits by exploiting the loopholes within the system. Some days back in a busy market near District courts Islamabad, I saw a person who bought Rs 500 card of a mobile company, scratched and fed the number but got the message that this card had already been used. Being afraid of his money going to waste, he rushed to shopkeeper and asked for help. The shopkeeper showed indifference and advised him to complain to the company for not getting credit. The poor fellow was ready to weep. All this happened in front of my eyes. It is a fact that hundreds of people lose their money in this manner. Sometimes, easy loads are not credited, and if you complain, you are told to lodge complain with mobile company for refund of lost money. These mobile companies earn tens of millions of rupees daily and do not bother to chalk out simplified procedure for refund of non credited amount to subscribers. There is dire need of setting up relief offices where people could go for reimbursement of their lost accounts. Another painful activity that is on the rise for the past few months is sms marketing. You are on a road and some sms arrives that tells you that your sofas can be washed and that your home can be immunised from all types of bugs at very reasonable rates. Similarly, someone would be interested in providing you tuition at low rates. Someone offering change of free filters of your choice if you change engine's oil at their outlet and so on and so forth. Most of the times, these messages arrive at the time when you are not expecting them, like late in the night. Rest of damage is done by mobile companies, sending various options of changing package with regular intervals. Marketing messages have deeply damaged the freedom of people considerably raising their stress level and shooting up their blood pressure. This is a mockery of privacy of peoples lives. PTA is requested to look into the matter thoroughly and take concrete steps to uproot the menace of marketing sms from all Mobile networks and also obnoxious calls. It is hoped that action in this regard will be taken soon to free people from becoming hostages of mobile companies. IFTIKHAR SHAHEEN MIRZA, Islamabad, April 8.