After a breather, cell phone services blocked again

Networks went offline around six am on Saturday as the wider suspension came into effect.

KARACHI: Having been restored only hours ago around midnight, cell phone services were shut once more on Saturday morning, Express News reported.

Services had been suspended in Karachi and Quetta on Friday afternoon before they were reopened minutes before the clocks struck midnight. However, as the hour hands neared six am, the services started going offline one after another.

While Friday's suspension was limited to Karachi and Quetta, Saturday's ban extends to nearly 50 cities. Services are expected to remain switched off in sensitive spots for almost 40 hours.

Earlier on Friday, Interior Minister Rehman Malik announced that the services are due to go down from Saturday through Sunday as part of the measures to prevent any untoward incident.