Mobile phone companies incurred a combined loss of Rs. 1 billion during two days of service closure on 9th and 10th of Muharram, industry sources revealed to ProPakistani.
Officials of mobile phone companies, while speaking with ProPakistani, estimated that as many as 100 million mobile phone customers were impacted and were deprived of voice and data services during the service suspension of 9th and 10th of Moharram.
Based on telecom ARPUs (Average Revenue Per User) and service suspension duration, telecom experts said that mobile phone companies lost at least Rs. 1 billion during two days.
Not to mention, an additional Rs. 300 million was recorded as losses for government under the head of various taxes that it couldn’t collect due to service suspension.
Damages incurred by customers, due to in-availability of mobile phone services, including over-all business loss, emergencies, lack of communication and similar heads are not accounted for in above mentioned figures.
Essential rental for services/packages, that is paid in advance or for post-paid customers who pay for services on monthly basis is also not included in above mentioned figures.
It maybe recalled that Pakistan Telecommunication Authority, on directions of Interior Ministry, had ordered mobile phone companies and wireless internet companies to suspend services on 9th and 10th of Moharram due to security reasons.
While remaining in-line with national security, ProPakistani hadn’t shared the list of cities where services remained suspended as such before-hand information could alert anti-state elements.
Below is the list of all cities and towns where mobile phone services and wireless internet services remained suspending during both days of 9th and 10th Moharram.
Punjab
- Lahore: 10KM Radius Around Karbala Gamay Shah (including Islampura , Purani Anarkali and Area from Nisar Haveli to Karbala Gamay Shah )
- Sheikhupura
- City Sheikhupura
- City Ferozewala (including Islamia Colony)
- City Farooqabad
- City Mureedkey
- City Sharaqpur
- Kasur
- City Kasur
- City /Moza Maan
- City Kot Radha Kishan
- City Chunian
- City Pattoki
- City Phool Nagar
- Gujranwala
- Gujranwala City
- Rasool Nagar
- Alipur Chatha
- Hafizabad
- City Hafizabad
- City Pindi Bhattian (Including Chowk Dullah Bhatti located near Pindi Bhattian bypass on Chiniot – Jhang Road (approximately 2Kms form bypass) towards Pindibhattian city)
- Gujrat
- City Shadlwal
- City Gujrat
- City Lala Musa (Including GT Road)
- Mandi Bahhu Din
- City M.B. Din
- City Phliya
- City Malkwal
- Sialkot:Â City Area Sialkot
- Narowal
- City Narowal (including 4 Km Radius from Building of PS City Narowal)
- City Shakargarh (including 4 Km Redius from Chowk Hakeema, City Shakargarh)
- City Zafarwal (including 4 Km Radius from Building of PS Zafarwal)
- Rawalpindi:Â Rawalpindi City & Cantonment
- Attock
- City Attock
- City Pindi Gheb
- City Malhowali
- City Bhander Jand
- City Jand
- City Jharmat
- Jhelum:Â Jhelum City and Cantonment
- Sargodha
- City Sargodha
- City Faroka, PS Tirkkhanwala
- Khushab
- City Khushab
- City Noorpur
- City  Jauharabad
- Mianwali
- City Mianwali
- Dab Balochan
- Piplan City
- Mari Indus
- City Paki Shah Mardan
- City Thamey Wali Chakrala
- Kalabagh City
- Bhakkar
- Bhakkar City
- Darya Khan City
- Faisalabad:Â Whole of Faisalabad District
- Jhang:Â Whole of Jhang District
- Multan:Â Multan City & Cantt (including Surajmiani & Sahichawan)
- Lodhran
- City Lodharn
- Kehrorpaca
- City Dunvapur
- Khanewal:Â Whole district of Khanewal
- Vehari:Â Whole district of Vehari including Burewala and Mailsi
- Sahiwal
- City Sahiwal
- City Chichawatni
- Okara
- City Okara
- City Renala
- City Depalpur
- Pakpattan
- City Pakpattan
- City Arifwala
- D.G. Khan
- City DG Khan
- City Kot Chutta
- City Taunsa
- Â Rajanpur:Â District Rajanpur (including Jampur and Fazalpur)
- Muzaffargarh: Whole District Muzaffargarh (including Kot Adu, Jatoi, Seetpur & Alipur)
- Layyah:Â Whole District Layyah
- Bahawalpur:Â Whole District Bahawalpur
- Bahawalnagar:Â Whole District Bahwalnagar
- R.Y.Khan:Â Whole District of R.Y.Khan
- Chakwal
- City Chakwal
- City Talagang
Sindh
- Sukkur: Whole District of Sukkur
- Shikarpur: Whole District of Shikarpur
- Khiarpur: Whole District of Khairpur
- Larkana: Whole District of Larkana
- Kambar Shahdadkot: Whole District of Kambar Shahdadkot
- Hyderabad: Whole District of Hyderabad
- Badin: Whole District of Badin
- Karachi: Whole District of Karachi
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK)
- Abbottabad
- Abbottabad City (including Markazi Imambargah, Diggi Mohallah, Shahzada Masjid Chowk, Gass Mandi, Fruit Market, Model Cafe Chowk, Katwali Chowk and Kutchery Road)
- Haripur
- Haripur City (Including Village Mankrai and adjacent areas)
- Mansehra
- Mansehra City (including Mohallah Mufti Abad PS City)
- Mardan: Mardan City
- Nowshera: Nowshera City and Cantonment
- Lakki: Lakki City
- Bannu
- PS/Union Council Janikhel
- PS/Union Council Miryan
- PS/Union Council Bakakhel
- PS/Union Council Hawald
- Peshawar: Complete Peshawar City (From Hayatabad till Chamkani & from Sayfan Chowk till Warsak Road)
(it must include Walled city, GT road from Chamkani upto Khyber Road Cantonment area) - Kohat
- Kohat City
- Usterzai City/Town
- D.I.Khan
- I. Khan City
- Tehsil Paharpur
- Tehsil Kulachi
- Tehsil Paroa
- Tank:Â District Tank (including City Tank, Gara Baloch and Ranwal Garra Naurang)
Balochistan
- Quetta: Quetta City
- Jaffarabad: District Jaffarabad (Including Usta Muhammad)
- Jhal Magsi: District Jhal Magsi (Including Gandhwana)
Gilgit-Baltistan
- All Gilgit-Baltistan –Â All Districts
AJ&K
- Muzaffarabad:
- City Muzaffarabad
- City/Town Garhi Dopatta & adjacent places
- City /Town Majohai
- City /Town Shahdrah
- Mirpur
- City Mirpur
- City Dadyal
- Gaseet Pur
- Kotli: District Kotli (including City Kotli, Sehnsa (Mera/Plate Sydan) & City Tla Pani)
- Bhimber
- City Bhimber
- City Bamala
- Rawalakot
- Sub-Division / City Hajira
- Sub-Division / City Abbaspur
- Bagh: Complete District Bagh (Including City Area Bagh and Namb Sydan)
- Haveli: City Haveli (Including Seerian (CDMA))
Banning mobile communication is the most stupid thing this govt. can do.
brother, It’s was done for security reasons.If it avoids the loss of human life then why not? can’t we bear 2 days of suspension.
Security reason?? it is because of our govt. policies of mixing religion and state. There has been billions of Dollars in investment in Madrasas and this has been going on for 30 years. You can’t fix this in few years.
Idiot ye sab RAW karwati hai
jahil!jab adha pakistan shieon ko kafir samajhta hai to RAW ho ya koi aur, har koi is sey faida uthaye ga! , btw I’m not shia.
Let me tell you all onbe thing.. Our whle economy lays on Shia. Our whole Banks are of Shias (HBL, BAHL, UBL, Soneri, Summit, etc)… Our Money is in the hands of Sias. So why not Shia is in power??
There is no doubt shias are every where. And you can find them in prominent positions. I personally think some of their acts like maatamm , muttaa , etc as bidat but this does not give anyone right to kill them.
they should ban rally and march of shia not mobile communication if they are think of human life
Exactly… Govt. ka kharcha bhi bach jaega is tarah ki stupid rallies ki securities dene ka.
Ek dafa kisi mushkil pe phans kar dekho aise time pe, like accident hojae, koi relative hospital me, koi ghar na pohncha ho… etc phir kehna ye baat ke “can’t we bear it for 2 days?”
Kehna asaan hai, jab khud pe aati hai na phir pata chalta hai.
Next time just shut the power
This also shows how much telcos earn in only two days
Also add Ghotki district to the list
It would be nice if govt pays for the losses or arrangements r made for foolproof security arrangements without closure of mobile services. Isn’t communication one of the basic human right now?
Both financial and human lives loss and disruption can be avoided by simply restricting the 10% of population i.e. Shia community to the four-wall of their places of worships. There should be no holiday in these days and nobody should be allowed to take any rally on the roads. Same goes with processions that are taken in Rabi ul Awwal. Equal treatment for both sects. State has all the power, they simply have to execute it with courage, for the larger interest of the people and nation, Pakistan!