QUETTA, Dec 23: Telecommunication links between Quetta and other parts of Balochistan and the rest of the country remained cut off for several hours after the optic fibre line near Dera Murad Jamali was damaged on Friday. According to official sources, the line was also damaged near Qila Saifullah. “It was an accident and not a subversive act,” PTCL officials said while confirming the damage to the optic fibre line.

The sources said that labourers were digging land near Dera Murad Jamali for installing weight machine for a rice mills at around 4.30 pm when the optic fibre line was damaged, causing the snapping of the telecommunication links between Balochistan and the NWFP and Punjab and major parts of Sindh.

“Only Karachi, Hyderabad and some other areas of Sindh remained connected with Quetta and other cities of Balochistan. PTCL sources said adding that the line was also damaged near Qila Saifullah where a road was under construction.

Engineers and technical staff were immediately sent to repair the line. “The telecommunication line would be restored by late night as work is in progress,” Mohammad Shafi, director of optic fibre for Balochistan said. He said that an FIR had been lodged against owners of the rice mill for damaging the line.