ISLAMABAD: Cellphone services were temporarily suspended in parts of Islamabad for three hours during Friday prayer timings.

There was no mobile phone service in parts of the twin cities from 11am to 2pm during which Friday prayers are held.

A customer services representative of a cellular company told Dawn.com that services were closed on Pakistan Telecommunication Authority's (PTA) directive for security reasons.

According to the representative, the authority had asked telecom companies to suspend services during the said time period in G-6, G-7 and F-6 areas of the capital which are adjacent to the Lal Masjid. But most companies terminated services throughout the city, the representative said.

Mobile phone services were suspended in sectors G-6 and G-7 for some time on Friday noon on Novmeber 27 as well, which coincided with the deadline given by the cleric of Lal Masjid to implement his version of Sharia in the country.