In a bid to avoid any untoward incident from happening during Muharram 8, 9 and Ashura, cellular networks will be shut down, and a pillion-riding ban will be instituted, in various parts of the country.
According to Sindh Additional Chief Home Secretary, mobile phones will remain suspended in eight districts of the province, including Karachi on Saturday, Muharram-ul-Haram 10. He added that the ban would remain in place from 9am to 10pm in the Sindh capital on Ashura.
However, it is pertinent to mention here that the Sindh government had requested for a ban on mobile phone service on Muharram 8, 9 and 10. Pillion riding will also remain prohibited in all sensitive cities and towns of the province, including Karachi, from 12pm tonight.
According to a notification issued by the Provincial Home Ministry, the ban will be imposed from midnight in Hyderabad, Jamshoro, Sanghar, Khairpur, Sukkur, and Shikarpur and will remain in place until Muharram 10.
Children, special people, journalists and personnel of law enforcement agencies will, however, be unaffected by the ban.
Meanwhile, a notification has been issued in Lahore regarding a pillion-riding ban throughout Punjab on Muharram 9 and 10.
According to the Punjab Home Ministry notification, personnel of law enforcement agencies will be immune from the ban.
On the other hand, a ban on pillion riding will be imposed in Hangu district from Wednesday, Muharram 7 and will last until Ashura on Saturday, October 24.
The ban is being imposed amidst security threats in the area, where according to DPO Shah Nazar Khan; all type of traffic will also be banned from entering the city from tomorrow.
