Karachi’s abrupt mobile phone service suspension prompts anger

Mobile phone service was again blocked in Karachi on Friday without any prior announcement and giving no reason as to why the country’s commercial center was deprived of the facility.

It is now an easy thing for the government to block mobile service on the strange plea of security concerns that the militants use cell phones to plan and carry out attacks and that the planners also pass on information to the facilitators of terror suspects.

The government also shut wireless service in Karachi, the city of nearly 18 million people, for seven hours. Mobile companies say that they suspended the service on the instructions from the state-owned Pakistan Telecommunication Authority.

Interior Minister Rehman Malik always take credit for shutting down cell phone service over security concerns. many do not agree with his notion. His action had even prompted condemnation from his own ministers. Federal Minister Syed Khurshid Shah said this month that the decision to block mobile service is being taken by Rehman Malik on his own and that it is not the government’s decision.

Interior Minister Rehman Malik claims that 90 per cent of the bombs set off by militants have been detonated using cell phones.

In order to avoid earning more anger, Malik was quite on the latest closure of the mobile service in Karachi. The mobile companies say that the service will remain suspended until 6 p.m.

People in Karachi say they are facing a lot of problems after mobile service goes off as some people cannot call for emergency ambulance service.

Many do not agree with the government’s stand of security concerns over the mobile phone service as the problem of terror attacks is not only the issue in Karachi. If the government has security concerns over the use of mobile by the militants, then a day can come when the government would argue to close the service across Pakistan.

Residents in Karachi say that the mobile users faced communication at around 10:45 am and when the media contacted the companies they said they have suspended the service after the PTA asked them.

The consumers are helpless and the government and its institutions are powerful to take any decision and any time.

Section of media has reported that the service could also be suspended in Peshawar. There is no official word about Peshawar.

Officials say that the militants in Pakistan often detonate bombs using cell phones and the government has implemented similar service suspensions in the past. But the authorities should also come up with a clear stand whether it is the only solution to the problem to shut mobile service?

The government should improve its intelligence system to break the network of the militants rather than adopting the easy option to stop phone service.

Mobile phone services were last suspended in the country on the 9th and 10th of Muharram. The government had decided to suspend the network for varying periods in about 50 cities across the country to provide security to mourners.

Reports on Friday cited an intelligence report that a major act of terrorism was suspected in Karachi, which was expected to be carried out through a cell phone.

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Posted by Tahir Khan on Dec 28 2012. Filed under Latest News, National, Pakistan. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.