ISLAMABAD: Cellphone and wireless Internet services remained suspended throughout the day on Saturday as part of security measures for Pakistan Day parade.

Mobile phone operators acknowledged that the subscribers were not receiving these services in Islamabad and in some parts of Rawalpindi.

According to a Zong phone service official, Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) issues instructions for suspension of services on a daily basis.

“We do not know how many sectors will be affected by the suspension on Sunday and on March 23 but areas in the vicinity of the parade venue will not receive the mobile phone services,” said the official.

Imran Rafiq, a resident of Sector F-8, said his mobile phone was not receiving signals in the area between F-10 and F-7.

“I did not know that there would be no service throughout the city,” he said, adding that the authorities should have informed the subscribers about the decision. “Now the unannounced suspension is causing great inconvenience to the mobile phone users,” he added.

It were not just the cellular services that remained suspended from the early hours of Saturday till 2pm in the afternoon, wireless services also remained suspended. Qubee had messaged all its subscribers on Friday, regretting that its services remained suspended from morning till the afternoon. PTA also confirmed suspension of services until March 23 for security purposes.

The authority is just passing on the instructions given by the Ministry of Interior to the cellular operators, said a PTA official. “Wireless internet services also remained suspended on Saturday,” the official confirmed to Dawn.

Published in Dawn March 22nd , 2015

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