Internet, mobile services suspended across Pakistan on polling day

ISLAMABAD: The Federal Interior Ministry on Thursday suspended mobile phone and internet services across Pakistan to maintain law and order situation in election 2024, ARY News reported.

“As a result of the recent incidents of terrorism in the country precious lives have been lost, security measures are essential to maintain the law and order situation and deal with possible threats, hence the temporary suspension of mobile services across the country,” the interior ministry said in a message on X (formerly Twitter).

ملک میں دہشت گردی کے حالیہ واقعات کے نتیجے میں قیمتی جانوں کا ضیاع ہوا ہے، امن وامان کی صورتحال کو قائم رکھنے اور ممکنہ خطرات سے نمٹنے کے لیے حفاظتی اقدامات ناگزیر ہیں، اس لیے ملک بھر میں موبائل سروس کو عارضی طور پر معطل کرنے کا فیصلہ کیا گیا ہے۔ ترجمان وزارت داخلہ

— Ministry of Interior GoP (@MOIofficialGoP) February 8, 2024

Following the suspension of internet and cellular services across Pakistan, the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) 8300 SMS service has been also affected.

Earlier, a hand grenade blast occurred in Karachi’s Gulshan-e-Iqbal area, leaving three persons dead and two injured.

Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Irfan Bahadur said that a grenade exploded in the hands of 17-year-old Farooq, the son of a police officer. The SSP said that Farooq came out of his residence in Haji Limu Goth of Gulshan-e-Iqbal with a hand grenade that exploded, resulting in his death.

It is pertinent to mention here that the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja ordered the police chiefs and chief secretaries of all provinces to put security on high alert following terror attacks in Balochistan ahead of general elections 2024.

Pakistan, world’s fifth-largest democracy, is going to polls today (Thursday) to elect its representatives for next five years.

A huge number of countrymen are expected to vote in the most expensive polling exercise since the country’s inception.

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), Muttahida Qaumi Movement- Pakistan (MQM-P), Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), Jamiat-e-Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F), Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) and a huge number of independent candidates, some backed by PTI, are participating in the exercise.