QUETTA: Authorities in Balochistan have formally asked the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) to suspend internet services across the province for security reasons on Eid Milad un-Nabi, officials say on Friday.
Yesterday, the Balochistan government had announced the suspension of internet on Eid Milad un-Nabi Sallallah-o-Alaih-e-Wasallam, to be celebrated across the country with great religious zeal and reverence on Saturday.
The day will also coincide with Defence Day, marking a historic national occasion.
The government has declared a public holiday for both events.
As per details, the provincial Home Department sent a letter to the PTA requesting suspension of both mobile and broadband services from 6 p.m. on Sept 5 until 9 p.m. on Sept 6. Officials said the move aims to prevent any “untoward or illegal incidents.”
The directive also covers PTCL and NTC services in Quetta, Mastung, Sibi, Noshki and Khuzdar. However, the government said whitelisted numbers and official PTCL and NTC connections would remain exempt.
Public frustration
Residents voiced anger and concern over the shutdown. Arian Hassan, an English department student at the University of Balochistan, said that the world is moving forward, but in Balochistan, internet is shut down in the name of security. Education is now entirely online—if the internet is blocked for two days, how can we study?”
Delivery worker Dawood Ahmed said the blackout directly threatened his livelihood. “My income depends on online orders. If there’s no internet, no orders come in, and I don’t earn commission,” he said.
A recurring issue
This is not the first time Balochistan has faced such restrictions. On Aug 6, authorities suspended mobile internet across the province, sparking widespread protests.
The case later reached the Balochistan High Court, where Chief Justice Rozi Khan Bareech and Justice Sardar Ahmed Halimi ordered authorities on Aug 21 to restore internet in Quetta within two hours. The bench stressed that citizens’ fundamental rights must not be undermined. Following the ruling, authorities partially restored internet in Pishin, Chaman and parts of Quetta.
Calls for alternatives
Civil society groups and consumer associations urged the government to find alternatives to repeated shutdowns, arguing that such measures disrupt both education and livelihoods.
