Mobile services to be suspended tomorrow on Pakistan Day

Mobile services will be suspended tomorrow on Pakistan Day, especially during the parade in the federal capital after the Islamabad High Court (IHC) allowed on Wednesday the federal government to suspend phone signals.

A two-member bench of the IHC comprising Justice Aamer Farooq and Justice Moshin Akhtar Kayani suspended Justice Athar Minallah's verdict that declared the suspension of mobile phones services for security reasons to be illegal.

The bench in its judgement said, "The actions, orders and directives issued by the federal government or Pakistan Telecommunication Authority, as the case may be, which are inconsistent with the provisions of section 54(3) are declared as illegal, ultra vires and without lawful authority and jurisdiction."

Justice Athar Minallah hearing the petitions on February 26, had ruled suspension of mobile phones services for security reasons illegal. Last year, after receiving multiple petitions from a citizen which stated that suspending the mobile phone services was a violation of the fundamental rights of citizens and against the Telecommunication (Re-organisation) Act 1996, the judge had reserved his verdict.