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Pakistan: Sorry Mobile Users, No Service!

Categories: South Asia, Pakistan, Digital Activism, Politics

Screen shot 2013-04-30 at 6.14.27 AM [1]

Pakistan-based Internet access advocacy group Bolobhi [2] releases a timeline [1] with details of the 12 times mobile services were suspended in the country since April 2012.

The timeline includes “official” reasons cellular services were blocked on each occasion. On most public holidays in Pakistan in 2012, including Eid [3] and Independence day, mobile services were suspended in select cities to maintain “law and order”. Bolobhi maintains mobile “access should not be a victim to national security.” According to the timeline, when mobiles were blocked on Eid in several cities the government lost Rs. 300 million (USD 3 million) in taxes.