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Security driven cellular blackout imposed in 52 citiesKARACHI: Pakistan's 52 cities face another spell of cellular blackout, which the federal government has imposed to fend off violence during Ashura commemorations, Geo News reported.
The move is aimed at preventing bombs being triggered by mobile phones.
There will be no network coverage from 6:00 AM to 8:00 PM today.
Earlier, mobile phone services went down in some parts of metropolis hours ahead of official suspension scheduled for 6:00 AM on Sunday morning.
Reports pouring in from all over the city confirmed the users of at least three cellular networks started losing connectivity around 3:00 AM.
It must be mentioned that the federal government had announced to freeze the services at 6:00 AM on 9th of Moharram as a security measure.
Even before that the services were restored across the country after a suspension of 18 hours.
The cellular services were suspended in 48 cities across the country on 9th of Muharram from 6:00 AM till 12:00 AM.
More than a dozen people have already been killed this week attending Muharram processions.
"All the blasts that occurred in the last 15 days were mobile phone-based," interior minister Rehman Malik told reporters.
At least eight people including three children were killed, while eighteen others including a policeman were injured in a massive bomb blast near a Muharram procession at Bannu Chungi in Dera Ismail Khan on Saturday morning.
Similar attacks in Karachi and Rawalpindi have also claimed dozens of lives during the Ashura.
Moreover, a suicide bomber killed himself and wounded two police officers near a Moharram procession in the Lakki Marwat.
Intelligence information indicates more attacks have been planned for the coming days in the capital city of Islamabad, Karachi and Quetta.
In Karachi, more than 5,000 police are expected to patrol the streets during Muharram events over the next two days, with hundreds more on alert.
"The army is on standby. If any untoward incident occurs, we will call them, if need be",Malik said.
Muharram marks the anniversary of the Battle of Karbala, where the grandson of the Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) and his family members were martyred.
Intelligence officials say extremist groups led by Lashkar-e-Jhangvi have intensified their bombings and shootings in the hope of triggering sectarian conflict in Pakistan.
Courtesy www.geo.tv