The government blocked cellular services in Karachi early on Friday morning, ahead of Ishq-e-Rasool (pbuh) day.
Mobile networks went down at approximately 2:45am in Karachi and are said to be restored by 11pm, today.
One user, Moiz Kazmi posted on facebook at around 3am “Ufone is gone! Kindly contact me on Facebook inbox or wall until the service resumes!” urging his acquaintances to try and reach him via the internet after the phone networks went off.
Earlier, the government had mulled ordering the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) to suspend cellular services in some sensitive areas to foil attempted terrorist attacks on Ishq-e-Rasool (pbuh) day, said officials associated with the interior ministry. Cellular services were likely to be suspended in Karachi, Lahore, Multan, some areas of Balochistan, Peshawar and areas surrounding the diplomatic enclave inIslamabad, the officials added.
Reports of the networks being switched off were received from Islamabad and Lahore.
On Thursday evening, Interior Minister Rehman Malik said “the government has not yet decided to block cellular services.”
A senior official of PTA, however, said they have been directed by the interior ministry to stay alert to implement the order of suspending cellular services.
Earlier in August, the Interior Ministry had shut cellular services in major shopping districts of Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad in anticipation of terrorist attacks. That shut off had lasted almost 15 hours.
Deploying the Army
“Army and Rangers have been put on alert for the security of the diplomatic enclave in Islamabad,” said Interior Minister Rehman Malik.
“The move aims to protect foreign missions, particularly the US embassy in Islamabad,” a spokesperson of Interior Ministry quoted Malik as saying. The deliberations to put the Army and Rangers on “alert” came after the capital police faced troubles in controlling demonstrators on Thursday.
Malik said the interior ministry had successfully convinced clerics to observe a peaceful Ishq-e-Rasool (pbuh) day.
Intelligence reports, however, suggest that protests may turn violent on Friday as hardcore clerics have planned to force their way into the diplomatic enclave after clashing with the police, a senior official associated with the National Counter-Terrorism Authority (NACTA) told The Express Tribune.
Demonstrators, the report suggests, can also target other diplomatic missions located in residential areas of the federal capital, the official added.
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Thank God. Pakistan separated from us and we are in peace now.
thats why pakistan is the most downfall country in entire world.
@Timour: How will 3G services work if the networks will be down? And we won't be having 3G in Pakistan any time before 2015. When Etisalat took over Ufone after privatisation of PTCL, a deal was signed between Etisalat and Govt of Pakistan according to which, if govt wanted to bring 3G technology within the next 10 years (2005-2015), it would have to give the license to Etisalat without an open bid. So now the Govt is waiting for this period to end before launching the bid. Otherwise, other cellular companies would have raised objections.
Calm Down people.... This is just for one day. Learn to spare at least one day of your life from aimless texting and calls. This way, who knows, we may have a chance to save many lives which all Pakistan will grieve on if something bad might happen, GODFORBID. So relax and stop blaming for everything, every time.
This is the PPP's government's live example of inability,incapability and disability to over come the terrorism in Pakistan and thus by adopting the temporary solutions of the controlling the terrorism only PPP's government can only increase problems and difficulties in common and poor man's life......
Suspension of cellular services is surely a hassle for the public, bur definitely also a deterrant to terrorists. One should really not be upset about this...10 years from now we didn't have such a facility. So lets stop cribbing. What bothers me is to see how we are celebrating this day. Our actions of burning shops and destroying property does not show love for the Prophet pbuh. The people are just going beserk and nothing is being achieved. Its more of a "giving vent" to our frustrated feelings of a frustrated society, who would do anything without a reason. Mullahs are the real culprits who mislead us.
Another conspiracy theory : Possibly a few weeks back when this was shut down the amount asked for was not coughed up...............everyone knows the cell phone companies make buckets of profit.
its a very disturbing decision for us...services also blocked in faisalabad.. gov should use another ways to controle terrorism not by snatching the facility of connection with one and another.......very bad decision.......no one can contact with his parents who lives far away from any one in PAKISTAN.
Dear Government if you are really democratic please have some pity on the cellular subscribers who first have to bear service shutdowns and then the cellular companies make up their losses by increasing rates and through cheating! Stopping terrorist is your responsibility. Please don't follow "na ray bans na bajay bansri"!
@Sharjeel Jawaid: That is exactly these assets want to achieve and your govt is obliging readily for their cause.
In other news: SYDNEY/TOKYO Apple Inc's iPhone 5 hit stores around the globe on Friday, giving the consumer giant a boost ahead of the crucial end-of-year holiday season as rival Samsung Electronics Co stepped up its legal challenge over key technologies.
The new phone - which was unveiled last week - went on sale across Asia with mobile carriers reporting record demand, leading at least one to question Apple's supply capacity. "It's thin and light. I've used Samsung before, but the operation, the feeling, of the iPhone is better," said Wataru Saito, a semiconductor engineer who had been queuing in Tokyo since mid-afternoon on Thursday with his suitcase, as he had a flight to catch on Friday.
Apple has booked more than 2 million pre-orders for the device in the first 24 hours, double the first-day sales of the previous iPhone 4S.
An estimated 600 people queued around the block from the Apple store in central Sydney, the first in the world to hand over an iPhone 5 to buyer at 8 a.m. local time (2200 GMT, Thursday). Customers were limited to buying a maximum of two phones.
Why they did not cut off internet?
Protesters ransacked the Capital authorities suspended the mobile phone in return. In other words pathetic governance.
Why does government do this. This is crazy.Why not impose 24 hour curfew permanently?
When the government cannot control law and order situation, it has no other alternate, except to shut down cell phone service in the entire country.
No body can imagine the hardship which a common man will face.
By tomorrow, the cell phone companies will publish the loss they will bear after jamming the cell phones today.
No electricity, no cell services, welcome to the 15th century