Pak shuts cellular services on national holiday to avoid terrorist attacks - India News and Travel Times Provides India-centric and other News and Features

The Pak government blocked cellular services in Karachi early on Friday, ahead of a national holiday, called 'Ishq-e-Rasool day'. Earlier, the government had mulled ordering the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) to suspend cellular services in some sensitive areas to foil attempted terrorist attacks on Ishq-e-Rasool day, according to Interior Ministry officials. A senior PTA official said they had been directed by the Interior Ministry to stay alert to implementing the order of suspending cellular services, reports The Express Tribune. Cellular services are also likely to be suspended in Lahore , Multan , some areas of Balochistan, Peshawar and areas surrounding the diplomatic enclave in Islamabad , officials said. Earlier in August, the Interior Ministry had shut cellular services in major shopping districts of Karachi , Lahore and Islamabad in anticipation of terrorist attacks. That shut off had lasted almost 15 hours.