Protesters want jammers’ range restricted to prison

MARDAN: Residents of Mohabatabad and surrounding areas on Friday staged a protest outside the Mardan Central Prison, demanding that the range of mobile phone jammers be restricted to within the jail premises.

Talking to reporters, Malik Shaukat, Arshad Khan, former union nazim, Umar Hayat and other residents of Mohabbatabad and other nearby localities complained that the high-frequency jammers installed inside the jail had completely blocked mobile signals in their neighbourhoods. They added that the disruption in connectivity had led to several unfortunate incidents, particularly during medical emergencies when they were unable to contact rescue teams in time.

The residents argued that extending the range of the jammers beyond the jail’s boundary walls was a violation of Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) regulations. “We are being denied a basic necessity which is communication,” one protester said.

The protesters said that it was also a violation of Supreme Court and high court decisions. They alleged that despite the presence of jammers, drugs and mobile phones were still being used freely inside the jail by inmates, raising questions about the effectiveness and purpose of the jamming system.

The protesters urged jail authorities to limit the coverage of the jammers strictly to the jail compound to ensure that surrounding communities can regain access to mobile networks and essential communication services. Later the protesters dispersed peacefully.