Here is How Punjab Will Suspend Mobile Services During Ashura

In a shift from past practices, Punjab’s Home Department has unveiled a targeted plan for mobile service limitations during the 9th and 10th of Muharram, which falls on Tuesday and Wednesday this week (16^th and 17^th July).

Note that mobile services include not only mobile internet but network calls and SMS texts as well. This means your only connectivity option will be WiFi signals.

Partial Suspension

The new strategy avoids complete city-wide blackouts. Instead, mobile services will not be entirely stopped in key areas of Lahore, Kasur, Sheikhupura, Sargodha, Khushab, Sialkot, Attock, Jhelum, and Chakwal.

The focus will be on temporary suspensions in specific areas along procession routes and venues hosting religious gatherings (majalis).

Timings of Suspension, Affected Areas

Mobile internet services will be gradually restored in some Pakistani districts following a period of suspension during religious observances. Multan, Khanewal, Lodhran, Vehari, Sahiwal, Pakpattan, Okara, and Chiniot will see full restoration.

However, most other districts will experience partial mobile internet shutdowns between 8 am and 10 pm on the 9th and 10th of Muharram. These affected areas include Gujranwala, Narowal, Toba Tek Singh, Bhakkar, Mandi Bahauddin, Wazirabad, Rajanpur, Faisalabad, Bahawalnagar, and Hafizabad.

The government has also outlined specific areas within some cities where service will be suspended. Rawalpindi will have 28 designated suspension points, while Rahim Yar Khan will have 15. Mianwali and Bahawalpur will each have 11 designated zones, while Layyah and Muzaffargarh will have 10 and 7 points respectively. Nankana Sahib is included with service suspensions planned at 6 locations.

It’s worth noting that mobile internet services were already partially suspended on Sunday, 7th Muharram, in certain areas of Rawalpindi, Faisalabad, Jhang, Bahawalpur, and Bahawalnagar.