Web Desk (September 29, 2017): Cellular services have been restored in almost all cities across country including Karachi.
According to the details, Mobile phone services have been restored on Friday evening after partial suspension in different parts of the country due to the strict security arrangements to safeguard Muharram processions.
The services were earlier suspended in Karachi, Sukkur, Hyderabad, Jacobabad, Kashmore, Khairpur, Shikarpur and other parts of Sindh.
The interior ministry had suspended cellular phone service in various cities including as part of security measures on the occasion of 8 Moharram processions on Friday.
Though there was no formal announcement to suspend the mobile phones services from PTA, the citizen stopped receiving mobile phone signals from Friday morning.
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By noon, mobile phones services in most areas of the city were suspended.
Mobile services are being suspended every year during Ashura as part of the security measures.
Earlier Sindh government’s Home Department wrote a letter to the interior ministry and Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) on September 21 and requested the federal government to place a ban on mobile services/internet in major cities of Sindh on the 8th, 9th and 10th of Muharram.The Sindh Home Department had requested blockage of cellular services in Karachi, Hyderabad, Shaheed Benazirabad, Khairpur, Sukkur, Larkana, Shikarpur and Jacobabad on 8th, 9th and 10th of Muharram.
Although the Sindh government had requested suspension of mobile services on Friday along routes of processions, Karachiites on social media said they were not receiving signals even in areas which are not in the path of the procession route.Earlier, Sindh Home Department on Thursday imposed three-day ban on pillion riding in Karachi on the eve of Ashura.
Pillion riding will remain banned in Karachi on 8,9 and 10th of Muharram, so as to avoided any untoward incident on the occasion.
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Karachi traffic police has released the traffic plan for 8, 9 and 10th of Muharram. According to plan, the traffic coming from Nazimabad will be diverted to Soldier Bazar, while traffic coming from Liaqatabad will be diverted from Teen Hatti to Marton Road.
Security has been beefed up across the country ahead of Muharram. As per the Muharram contingency plan, police is ensuring strict security cover at over 1,520 Imambargahs, 12,700 Majalis, 4,150 mourning processions and 1,400 Tazia processions in the province.
Electronic and visual surveillance and use of sniffer dogs for explosives detection and sweeping of routes and venues will be carried out by Bomb Disposal Unit, especially at under-construction buildings.