There are many ways to get in touch with mobile phone user in Pakistan. One of the option is to send and receive text message through the Internet. All you - the sender - needs is a web browser with Java. It works well for Pakistanis abroad who often have broadband and who want a quick chat with friends or family in Pakistan. Here’s how.

Let’s start with the example of the case when you want to send a text message to a Telenor user. Below is a screenshot from Telenor web to sms page where you enter the recipient’s phone number and your name and message. It is free for the sender and Telenor charges Rs.2 to the mobile user per message.  

Note that the mobile user will receive the first message e.g. “Atif has sent you a Web 2 SMS chat message. If you wish to receive the messages from Mak, please reply Y. To reject, please reply N”. In case of reply with Y the session will start – otherwise it won’t. Once a session starts you can send and receive messages.

For those mobile users who do not use text messaging often this may be a surprise! This may not work with all handsets and this service can be blocked by the mobile users.

This functionality is available at many websites which connect to the mobile company’s gateway. I prefer going to the mobile provider site as much as possible so that I may avoid the clutter and ads at the other sites. Here are the links for sending such messages for other providers.

  • Mobilink – Web to SMS  
  • Ufone – Web to SMS  (click on Web 2 SMS Chat link)
  • Telenor – Web to SMS
  • For other providers such as PakTel try this site throug which you can send messages to any provider phone service. For example here is the link for Warid.
  • For Ufone users there’s more. According to Ufone website, “You can send and receive SMS between Ufone & PTCL landline phones. All that’s required by a PTCL subscriber is a CLI activated PTCL number and an SMS enabled telephone set. Outgoing messages are charged at Rs. 1 per SMS.” Can anyone try this and share the feedback?