Mobile phone networks will be blocked today (Thursday) from 8am to 10pm in 46 cities of the country to beef up security measures for Hazrat Imam Hussain’s (RA) chehlum. According to sources, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority on orders from the Interior Ministry will block services in Gilgit and nine districts of Balochistan including Quetta, Bolan, Sibi, Nasirabad, Jaffarabad, Jhal Magsi, Khusdar, Loralai and Zhob. Similarly, there will be no mobile coverage in six cities of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa including Peshawar, Kohat, DI Khan, Hangu, Tank and Bannu, 18 cities in Punjab including Lahore, Rawalpindi, Attock, Jhelum, Multan, Sargodha, Faislabad and Chakwal, six cities in Sindh including Karachi, Hyderabad, Sukkur, Mirpurkhas, Naushero Feroze and Khairpur and six districts in Azad Kashmir. Meanwhile, the government has also banned pillion riding in Lahore, Karachi, Rawalpindi, Islamabad and Quetta for today.