PTA spokesman says cellular services being suspended in parts of Islamabad
Mobile phone services may remain suspended in several parts of the federal capital for the next three days, a Pakistan Telecommunications Authority (PTA) spokesman said Tuesday even as cellular services have already been shut down in some parts of capital.
PTA Spokesperson Khurram Mehran reportedly said that the Interior Ministry has directed PTA to indefinitely suspend mobile phone and wireless services, including wireless internet services, in Islamabad.
A source in the telecommunication sector said they received directions from PTA to suspend mobile phone services in separate parts of Punjab and that they will be notified at intervals to block signals at junctions where Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) protestors head to.
The PTA notification states that to help law enforcement agencies avoid any untoward incident and security threats for Independence Day celebrations and in pursuance of the directions received from National Counter Terrorism Authority (NCTA), MoI, “Mobile, Wireless and Data Services will be closed from 7 p.m on August 12, 2014 till further orders in Red Zone Areas of Presidency and Convention Center Islamabad” (starting from Margalla Road to Kashmir Chowk and China Chowk till Quaid-e-Azam University).
The measure comes just days ahead of anti-government marches lead PTI Chairman Imran Khan and PAT Chairman Tahirul Qadri.