WHILE waiting for my wife in the car with my teenage son, I saw a young woman, aged around 20 years, clad in an abaya, exiting the pharmacy where my wife had gone to get some medicines. The girl was visibly distressed, sobbing uncontrollably. I wondered what had transpired to cause such emotional turmoil.

Upon my wife’s return, I asked her if she had noticed the girl. As narrated by my wife, the girl had confided in the pharmacy cashier that her boyfriend had stolen her phone, and was demanding money in exchange for not sharing ‘compromising’ pictures on social media and with her family.

With my wife’s assistance, I called the girl over to our car. She approached in a highly emotional state and, through tears, recounted her ordeal, insisting that the pictures had been manipulated through a software, and did not depict actual events. Thankfully, she had managed to deactivate her bank account, preventing unauthorised withdrawals through any connected mobile applications.

After giving a serious thought to the matter, our initial suggestion was to inform her parents, seeking their support in navigating the situation. However, she expressed extreme fear, suggesting her brothers might react violently, and that her father had passed away. Concerned about her safety, we inquired about her next course of action. She hesitantly expressed the intention to go to some police station.

We cautioned her that involving the police might ultimately lead to her family coming to know of the pictures. We gently encouraged her to consider open communication with the family, but the suggestion only triggered a new wave of tears. Our final advice to the girl was to approach the department dealing with cybercrimes.

Based on this experience, I have grown serious concerns regarding the potential pitfalls of unsupervised friendships. Individuals as well as families need to be somehow educated about the significance of responsible, calculated social interaction.

M. Abid Hafeez
Lahore

Published in Dawn, May 16th, 2024