ISLAMABAD - The federal government, in a bid to tackle the present situation in the country, is planning to block cellular services in the capital on August 14 along with suspension of cable services.
It has been proposed at a meeting held in the Interior Ministry that cellular services should be blocked in the capital on August 14 and cable service suspended on that day to control the situation in the country.
A final decision has not been taken in this regard but sources said that cellular services would be most likely blocked in the capital on the Independence Day. About the suspension of cable services, they said there is 50/50 chance of this decision to be taken by government.
The sources further said there is also a suggestion that the cellular services should be blocked from August 13 onward till the situation gets normal. Imran Khan’s planned march on the Independence Day has created many concerns for the government as the Lahore show created by Dr Tahir ul Qadri has turned lethal even more than the government’s expectations.
The logic behind the suggestion of blocking cellular services in the capital is that the elements that want to create instability in the country should face difficulties in contacting one another. Furthermore, any terrorist activity during the shows of Khan and Qadri could be prevented.
In the past, many bomb blasts were carried out through mobile SIMs and the then interior minister Rehman Malik had invented this technique as a security measure against terrorism and bomb blasts in the country.
The present government has also adopted this technique and used it on several occasions during its one-year rule in the country. Though different quarters are opposing this expected decision of the government, but most likely it is going to happen and the masses will have to use land lines to keep connected with each other, the sources said. They, however, opined suspension of cable services might create more panic among the masses and increase the problems of the government.
A PTA spokesman, when contacted, said they had no information about such a decision of the government. He said Pakistan the Telecommunication Authority would enforce the government’s decision on suspension of cellular services in the country or some of its parts or a particular city.