KARACHI: Mobile phone services have been suspended in major cities of the country as part of security arrangements for Ashura processions that would be taken out later in the day.
The cellular services will remain suspended in Karachi after 08:00am until the procession ends, as authorities finalized arrangements ahead of the procession which starts from Nishtar Park and culminate at Hussainian iranian imam Bargah in Kharadar.
Cellular services will remain suspended in Karachi, Peshawar, Quetta, Lahore, Hyderabad, Shaheed Benazirabad, Khairpur, Sukkur, Larkana, Shikarpur and Jacobabad on 9th and 10th of Muharram.
Meanwhile, all the streets and roads linked to MA Jinnah Road were blocked by placing shipping containers. A large number of police and para military troops have been deployed on the route of the main procession.
The government has already put a ban on pillion riding in the city in wake of Ashura's security.
The police are monitoring the Ashura procession with CCTV cameras in Peshawar where educational institutes are closed and business activities remain suspended.
In Quetta, the security forces have made strict security arrangements by installing walkthrough gates in mosques and Imam Bargahs.
A spokesman for the Punjab government said the a decision to suspend mobile phone services on the routes of processions. The provincial government has deployed thousands of Rangers and army personnel to ensure the security of Ashura processions.
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