Cellphone services blocked in major Pak cities for Eid security

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Islamabad, Aug 20: Mobile phone services, which were suspended over security concerns in at least four major Pakistani cities on the eve of Eidul Fitr, have been restored in Karachi, Lahore and Quetta.

Mobile phone services were suspended in Karachi, Lahore, Quetta, Multan and a number of other cities on the eve of Eidul Fitr on the direct orders of the federal government. The Pakistan government decided to suspend cellphone services in the wake of intelligence reports that terrorists may attempt to target key installations in sensitive areas.

The decision was taken in response to a request by provincial governments on the eve of Eidul Fitr, said a press statement released by Interior Minister Rehman Malik.

Cellular company sources confirmed that Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) asked them to block services in Karachi, Lahore, Multan and Quetta. Services were to remain blocked from 8pm on Sunday till 11am on Monday, reports The Express Tribune.

The move to block cellular services is an attempt to ensure security in sensitive areas of Balochistan, as well as to detect acts of terrorism in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, officials said. (ANI)