Mobile services restored in Pakistan (Lead)
August 20th, 2012 - 2:04 pm ICT by IANSIslamabad, Aug 20 (IANS) Mobile phone services, which were suspended in Pakistan ahead of Eid-ul-Fitr to thwart possible terror attacks on markets and congregations, were restored Monday after a 14-hour blackout.
Service providers, following orders of the interior ministry, had pulled the plug on the mobile phone networks in Karachi, Lahore, Multan and Quetta at 8 p.m. Sunday, Geo News reported.
Interior Minister Rehman Malik said mobiles phones were being used for blasts, and that was why services in Karachi were suspended as a precautionary measure.
Xinhua said a high-level meeting took place Sunday, where it was decided to block the services to prevent possible attacks on congregations during Eid.
Officials were of the opinion that militants always use mobile phones to receive instructions. A mobile phone was found with militants involved in Thursday’s attack on the Kamra airbase.
Heavily armed gunmen stormed the Kamra airbase in Punjab province Thursday. An intense gunfight broke out between the militants and security personnel in Attock district, considered one of the areas where Pakistan stores its nuclear arsenal. Nine militants and one soldier were killed.
- Pakistan restricts phone service for safe Eid - Aug 20, 2012
- Four Kamra airbase attackers identified: Malik - Aug 18, 2012
- Pakistani panel to probe airbase attack - Aug 17, 2012
- Nine die in terror attack at Pakistan's key airbase (Second Lead) - Aug 16, 2012
- No mobile service in 15 Pakistani cities for a day - Sep 21, 2012
- Pakistan army faces militancy problem: Daily - Aug 17, 2012
- Eight die in terror attack on Pakistani airbase (Lead) - Aug 16, 2012
- Kamra airbase attackers were Pakistanis: Malik - Aug 19, 2012
- Pakistanis knows how to defend their country: Ashraf - Aug 22, 2012
- Promote tolerance, repulse extremism: Zardari - Aug 20, 2012
- Terror strikes feared in Pakistan ahead of Eid - Sep 08, 2010
- 10 die in Pakistan suicide bombing - Aug 31, 2011
- Stop the terrorists, Pakistan tells Kabul - Sep 02, 2012
- Nine militants killed in Pakistan air base attack (Third Lead) - Aug 16, 2012
- 17 killed in Pakistan drone strikes - Aug 24, 2012
Tags: eid ul fitr, geo news, gunfight, gunmen, interior minister, interior ministry, kamra, mobile phone networks, mobile phone services, mobile services, mobiles phones, multan, nuclear arsenal, precautionary measure, punjab province, quetta, rehman malik, security personnel, terror attacks, xinhua