GHALANAI: Mohmand Agency residents, particularly students, on Wednesday demanded restoration of the 2G and 3G internet services in the tribal region.

It is to mention here that cellular companies suspended their 2G services in the entire Fata four months ago without citing any reason.

However, sources said the neither the local administration nor the security sources had ordered suspension of the service.

An employ of a telecom franchise in Ghalanai told Dawn that 2G service was suspended by the firm’s Peshawar office. However, he did not disclose the reason for the suspension. Another source said that the decision was taken on the directives of senior officials.

An official of the political administration told Dawn that in the modern era internet was critical for people, particularly students, journalists and government officials to be connected to the world. He said he would convene a meeting of the cellular companies’ representatives to ask them to restore the internet service.

Mukhtajullah, a student of Government College of Management Sciences, Ghalanai, said that suspension of 2G internet service in Mohmand Agency had troubled the students a lot. He said it was their constitutional right to avail the faster internet service in the modern era.

He said the tribal people used to interact with their relatives living abroad through internet, but the ban had disappointed them.

“I do not know about the reason behind suspension of the internet service in the tribal region, said another student, adding that due to the service suspension he could not apply for different jobs in various departments online.

Journalists are also facing problems while sending their stories to their media houses in the major cities.

Published in Dawn, February 23rd, 2017