QUETTA: The Balochistan High Court (BHC) on Wednesday sought replies from the Attorney General of Pakistan (AGP) and the Balochistan Advocate General (AG) to a petition against the shutdown of internet services in the province.
A two-member BHC bench comprising Chief Justice Rozi Khan Barrech and Justice Sardar Ahmad Haleemi issued the directives while hearing a constitutional petition filed against the internet shutdown by Khair Muhammad Shaheen, chairman of Balochistan’s Consumer Civil Society, against the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA).
Last week, the government announced the suspension of mobile data services in the province until August 31 over “security reasons.”
A notification issued by the Balochistan Home Department on August 6 cited the “peculiar law and order situation” in the province as a cause for the suspension.
The petitioner contended that the cell phone was a basic mode of communication for businessmen, students, educational institutions, and others, but the government had suspended mobile network and internet services throughout the province “without any plausible justification,” which was negatively impacting children’s education and business activities.
Shaheen said the indefinite suspension constituted a violation of fundamental rights guaranteed under Articles 9 (security of person), 15 (freedom of movement, etc.), 18 (freedom of trade, business, and profession), 19-A (right to information), and 25 (equality of citizens) of the Constitution.
The petition also added that inter-district and inter-provincial bus services were suspended, due to which the public was “suffering.”
During the preliminary hearing on Wednesday, the court observed that the contentions so raised require consideration and issued notices to the respondents, AGP Mansoor Awan and AG Basharat to file their responses before the next hearing on Friday.
It added that in case of a failure to do so, the secretaries of the interior and information technology ministries were to appear in person on that date.
In November last year, the PTA had announced the government’s decision to suspend internet and mobile services with immediate effect in many districts of Balochistan to ensure public safety in the wake of terrorist attacks in the province and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
