Pakistani authorities have ordered the suspension of 3G and 4G mobile internet services across Balochistan from Friday evening, citing a “law and order situation and existing threat alerts.”
According to an official notification, services will remain suspended from 5pm on 5 September until 9pm on 6 September. PTCL and NTC wireless internet services will also be suspended in parts of Quetta, Mastung, Sibi, Nushki and Khuzdar districts.
The order said the shutdown was necessary due to the prevailing “law and order situation” and religious processions.
This marks the third suspension of mobile internet services in Balochistan within the past month.
Amnesty International criticised the decision, calling it a “violation of fundamental rights.”
“Authorities have announced the shutdown of mobile internet services in Balochistan province for 6 September again, citing ‘law and order situation and existing threat alerts’, after the services were shut down for most of August on similar pretexts,” the group said on X.
“Mobile internet is the only way to access the internet for many people in the province, and blanket shutdowns significantly curtail the right to information, freedom of expression and movement,” it added.