In light of ongoing Muharram observances across Pakistan, the government has proactively announced stringent security measures to ensure the safety of processions and gatherings on the 9th and 10th of Muharram, providing a sense of reassurance to the public.
According to sources, it has been revealed that cellular phone services will be temporarily suspended nationwide during the Muharram processions, with internet services to be halted in areas along the main procession routes on Youm-e-Ashura.
This suspension is set to be enforced in the federal capital and all four provinces, as well as in Azad Kashmir and Gilgit Baltistan. The government is planning to initiate the suspension of mobile and internet services in Islamabad and various cities, with differing regions being affected on the 9th and 10th of Muharram.
Reports indicate that on the 9th of Muharram, mobile and internet services will be suspended in areas along the procession routes in Islamabad, while on the 10th of Muharram, these services will also remain suspended in the procession routes and adjacent areas in Rawalpindi. These measures have been put in place to ensure the security of the Muharram processions.
Furthermore, the Punjab Home Department has released a comprehensive plan detailing the suspension, emphasizing that mobile services will not be completely halted in any city of Punjab. Instead, services will be suspended only in areas along the routes of processions and majlis, providing a sense of security to the public.
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Specific cities, including Lahore, Kasur, Sheikhupura, Sargodha, Khushab, Sialkot, Attock, Jhelum, and Chakwal, will have partially operational mobile services on the 9th and 10th of Muharram. Conversely, cities like Multan, Khanewal, Lodhran, Vehari, Sahiwal, Pakpattan, Okara, and Chiniot will see the restoration of mobile services during these days, instilling a sense of hope in the public.
In addition to this, the provincial governments of Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Azad Kashmir, and Gilgit Baltistan have also requested the suspension of mobile services on Ashura due to security concerns.
Meanwhile, the Balochistan government has opted to suspend mobile and internet services in various cities on the 7th, 9th, and 10th of Muharram. This suspension is expected to impact Quetta, Kachhi, Jhal Magsi, Jaffarabad, and Usta Muhammad, as indicated by a spokesperson from the Balochistan home ministry.
