QUETTA: Mobile internet services have once again been suspended in several cities of Balochistan, including Quetta, as per the reported on Saturday.
The services had only been restored last week on the orders of the Balochistan High Court (BHC) after remaining blocked for three weeks.
However, officials from the Balochistan Home Department said the suspension has been reimposed due to security concerns.
The move has created major problems for users, especially students and those dependent on online businesses and services, at a time when most people rely on WhatsApp for calls and communication.
According to officials, Balochistan has around 8.5 million mobile subscribers. Despite being Pakistan’s largest province by area, it has a population of just 15 million out of the country’s 240 million.
Earlier, the BHC admitted a constitutional petition against the suspension of internet services.
A two-member bench, headed by Chief Justice Rozi Khan Barrech and Justice Sardar Ahmad Haleemi, issued notices to the Attorney General of Pakistan and the Balochistan Advocate General.
The petition was filed by Consumer Society Chairman Khair Muhammad Shaheen, who argued that cutting off mobile internet was a violation of basic rights, affecting education, businesses, and daily life.
He said the ban was imposed without valid justification, adding that inter-district and inter-provincial transport had also been suspended.
The court directed authorities to submit a written reply by August 15 and warned that if no response was received, the federal interior secretary and the secretary of telecommunications would be summoned in person.