ISLAMABAD: Cellphone service was suspended for 8 to 14 hours in almost all major cities and sensitive towns across the country on Thursday as part of security measures for Muharram.

The services were restored partially in some cities, including Islamabad and Rawalpindi, after 6pm and completely by 9pm in other cities.

According to sources, the service is likely to be suspended again from 6am to 10pm on Friday in about 80 cities and towns as part of strict security measures for Youm-i-Ashur.

The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority is reported to have sent a list of the cities and towns to cellphone companies.

On the basis of intelligence reports, authorities in Punjab have decided to suspend the service in the districts of Chakwal, Faisalabad, Gujranwala, Jhang, Dera Ghazi Khan, Bahawalpur, Rawalpindi, Layyah, Rahim Yar Khan, Sargodha, Bhakkar, Gujranwala, Lahore and Multan.

In Sindh, the service will be shut in Karachi, Hyderabad, Khairpur, Sehwan, Nawabshah and Larkana, and in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, in Dera Ismail Khan, Kohat, Hangu, Lakki Marwat, Bannu and Peshawar.

Balochistan is reported to have written to the federal government to seek closure of the service in Quetta and some other places.