Mobile phone and internet services have been temporarily suspended in several parts of Rawalpindi as part of security arrangements for Chehlum processions marking the martyrdom of Imam Hussain. The district administration confirmed that the suspension was ordered to ensure the peaceful and secure conduct of the processions taking place across the city.
Officials said mobile and internet services would remain suspended until the processions concluded, after which connectivity would be restored in phases. Security agencies have made special arrangements along the procession routes to prevent any untoward incidents and maintain law and order throughout the day.
The suspension in Rawalpindi follows a similar measure taken in Lahore, where mobile phone and internet services were temporarily suspended in several parts of the city as part of security arrangements for Chehlum observances a day earlier. That suspension affected connectivity in the Walled City, Data Darbar, Chauburji, Mozang, and surrounding areas, with authorities saying the measure was taken to support security operations and that services would be restored once the situation allowed.
Temporary suspensions of mobile and internet services around religious processions and gatherings have become a routine security measure in Pakistan, applied by district administrations in coordination with the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority to reduce the risk of coordinated disruptions during large public gatherings. The pattern reflects a recurring balancing act between maintaining public safety during major religious observances and the disruption such suspensions cause to residents and businesses relying on connectivity in the affected areas.
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