Cellular services to be suspended on Eid Milad-un-Nabi

Mobile phone networks will be suspended in major cities in view of terror threat on Thursday night. The move is one of several security measures being taken ahead of Eid Milad-un-Nabi (PBUH).

Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has issued the directives to the mobile network companies to block services in Karachi, Peshawar, Lahore, Quetta, Multan and 15 other cities.

Pillion riding will also be banned on the occasion in Rawalpindi. Capital City Police has been put on high alert for Eid Milad-un-Nabi (PBUH) cavalcades to ensure peace and tranquility.

It is now an easy move 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.

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.

Short URL: https://www.newspakistan.pk/?p=37636

Posted by Web Desk on Jan 24 2013. Filed under 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.