ISLAMABAD: In a bid to thwart terrorists’ plans of attacking processions on the occasion of Chehlum of Imam Hussain, the government has decided to suspend mobile phone services in up to 53 cities across the country on Thursday, DawnNews reported on Wednesday.

Reports from various sources suggest that wireless services along with pillion riding will also be banned in sensitive areas of the country including Karachi, Lahore and Quetta.

Eighteen cities of Sindh along with 12 in Punjab, 16 districts in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and seven cities in Balochistan will observe the ban.

Sources in Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) told DawnNews that after consulting all provincial authorities, the decision has been taken to block mobile phone services between 8 am and 10 pm on Thursday.

This is not the first time the government is imposing a suspension, as people in certain parts of the country had faced it previously on Eid-ul-Fitr, Eid-ul-Azha, Ashura and on New Year’s Eve.