ISLAMABAD, Dec 28: Several exchanges of Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL) were damaged by violent protests on Friday, congesting the nationwide telecommunication traffic.

“A few PTCL exchanges have been damaged. And a significant PTCL link between Nawabshah and Hyderabad was destroyed on Friday afternoon by rioters and major damage was caused to an optic-fibre cable that resulted in the breakdown of dial-up internet services and international dialing in Islamabad and Lahore,” said PTCL’s executive vice-president Ali Qadir Gilani.

Mr Gilani said that the broadband service was functioning properly and phone lines were also working. PTCL links between Ghotki and Gujranwala had also been damaged, Mr Gilani said.

“It was too early to assess the damage and too early to say how soon the optic-fibre (cable) will be fixed and the exchange operational again. PTCL staff was also caught in the violence and beaten up by rioters,” the PTCL official said.