Prime Minister Imran Khan inaugurated the Pakistan Emergency Helpline (PEHEL) 911 on Thursday, 7th April for the general public. Just like in the US, Australia, Canada, or Sweden, 911 Pakistan is an umbrella service for all emergencies. Now instead of searching on Google regarding which helpline is for which service in Pakistan, the caller can simply dial 911 and ask for the desired one.
The helpline has added all 36 individual emergency numbers in Pakistan including police, ambulance, fire brigade, paramedics, disaster recovery unit, and many others. According to reports, the service will be initiated on 25 July.
911 Pakistan Needs Support of all Federating Units
At the inaugural ceremony in Islamabad, Khan lauded the efforts of the interior ministry and other collaborating departments for establishing 911 Pakistan. Every Pakistani civilian will now be able to test the state’s response in case of an emergency. He said it was a “fantastic move” that required the support of all federating units in the country.
Khan further said that besides being a major facility, PEHEL would be able to provide people with a feeling that Pakistan was for everyone. He referred to the previous situation when there were two parallel discriminatory systems, one for the rich and one for the poor. Khan explained that this service would require constant collaboration between provinces so they would have to be on the same page for the sake of public benefit.
Data Collection
At the time, several emergency services have been operating in Pakistan with different contact numbers. It not only poses difficulty for the public to note down each number but also for data collecting agencies. The integrated 911 Pakistan will route the call to the appropriate department, making records in the process.
The premier said that due to PEHEL, the state can assess the resources required in each sector and maintain the crime data as well. He reassured the public that introducing such facilities was the state’s responsibility and making Pakistan an Islamic welfare state was his prime vision. Khan added that the citizens should not have to worry about the state’s response in case of threats to someone’s life and property, in a welfare state.
The Medina State
Imran Khan has been increasingly stressing his ambition to make Pakistan like a historical Medina state. Khan said that the State of Medina took care of all its civilians without caring about diminishing resources. He also claimed that China followed the same model and pulled an economic miracle of driving about 700 million people out of poverty within 35 years. In the end, he warned that Pakistan cannot make progress without inclusivity and breaking the system that worked for the elite and rejected the poor.
Khan also pointed out that his administration has introduced multiple welfare initiatives like Sehat Card, Ehsas Programme, Kamyab Jawan Programme, and others. He is also reportedly planning to launch a legal aid system that will provide free legal services to those in need.
