Chehlum security: Cellular services restored after day long 45 city suspension

Services started coming back from 9:30 pm in some areas, ahead of the announced schedule of 10pm.

Per the earlier announced schedule, cellular services started to crawl back to life in several parts of the country on Thursday evening after having been suspended from around 8am, one of the security measures taken on account of Hazrat Imam Hussain’s (RA) Chehlum, Express News reported.

Services had been suspended in 56 cities, including Lahore and Karachi.

The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), on the advise of the Interior Ministry ordered restoration of services in 18 areas of Punjab, six in Sindh, nine in Balochistan and six each in K-P and AJK.

Cellular services had also been suspended in Peshawar, Dera Ismail Khan, Kohat, Hangu and Bannu division at midnight. The rest of the provinces observed the suspension till 10pm.

In Punjab, Lahore, Rawalpindi, Multan, Faisalabad, Sargodha, Bahawalpur, Chakwal, Jehlum and Jhang are the major areas which faced mobile services suspension, while the cities in Sindh are Karachi, Hyderabad, Mirpur Khas, Nowshero Feroz and Khairpur.

Cities in Balochistan include Quetta, Jafferabad, Jhal Magsi, Bolan, Sibi and Naseerabad while Gilgit, Muzaffarabad, Kotali, Rawalkot and Bagh are among major cities towards the north.