SHANGLA: Residents of Pir Khana union council here on Saturday demonstrated against the poor internet and mobile services in the area, accusing a telecom company of neglecting their repeated complaints.

Carrying banners, placards and chanting slogans against the service provider, the protesters gathered in the Pir Khana Bazaar to voice their frustration over what they called persistent negligence in providing basic communication facilities.

Addressing the demonstration, Waheedullah Qarar, an activist, said despite paying the same charges as customers in other parts of the country, residents of Pir Khana were deprived of quality services. “People here are forced to climb mountains and high places just to make a phone call, which is extremely disappointing,” he remarked.

Mr Qarar added the community had lodged several complaints with the company’s customer care service as well as local management, but the issue was not taken seriously. “This attitude amounts to a violation of consumers’ rights,” he said.

Say repeated complaints to company fell on deaf ears

Other speakers, including Ijaz Ahmed, Rehmanullah, Riaz, Hazrat Ali, Rashad and Salahuddin, criticised the company for what they termed its failure to provide even basic coverage. They said if the service provider was unable to ensure quality connectivity, it should remove its towers from the area and allow another operator to step in.

The protest leaders also issued a warning that if the situation did not improve, local retailers would be asked to halt sales of the company’s products, while residents would be urged to deactivate their SIM cards in protest.

They said lack of reliable communication services was creating serious hardships for students, professionals, and families, particularly in emergencies.

Many residents rely on mobile data for education and work, but poor connectivity had left them at a disadvantage.

The protesters demanded of the district administration and the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority to direct the company to improve its services.

LAID TO REST: Three young miners, who had died in coal mine incidents in Sindh, Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa the other day, were laid to rest in their ancestral graveyards on Saturday.

Locals said Mohammad Rashed died in a coal mine incident in the Akhorwal area of Darra Adamkhel; Mohammad Ibrahim in Harnoi, Balochistan, and an engineering student died in a coal mine in Hyderabad.

They said the deceased were from different villages of Alpuri tehsil.

Separately, a boy was killed and another injured when a speedy motorcycle collided with a tractor in the Sanila area of Puran tehsil on Friday evening.

A Rescue 1122 spokesperson identified the deceased as Mohammad Awais, 11, and the injured as Mohammad Rayan.

The body and the injured were shifted to the Tehsil Headquarters Hospital, Aloch Puran.

Published in Dawn, September 14th, 2025