Emergency number

This is to address the government’s negligence towards the establishment of a national emergency number when it should have been top priority of the authorities. Considering the fact that each emergency service has its own number – for example, 15 for police, 115 for an ambulance, 16 for fire – in times of emergencies, citizens have to rummage through a plethora of numbers. Ideally, there should be one single number for all kinds of emergencies.

Countries like the US and the UK have a national emergency number for all emergencies. Last year, India adopted 112 as its national emergency number. Pakistan too should work on this and introduce a single emergency number. The concerned authorities must look into setting up a national emergency number under which emergency services could be accessed without having the need to dive into a pile of numbers.

Zoha Khan (Karachi)