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September 25, 2026
PTA confirms it has received no formal order to suspend or downgrade internet in Rawalpindi or Attock despite Punjab’s protest-related request.
The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has clarified that it has not received any formal instructions to suspend or downgrade mobile and internet services in Rawalpindi or Attock, despite a request from the Punjab government tied to upcoming protests, officials told.
The Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication also confirmed that the Ministry of Interior has not issued any direction to PTA for suspending or downgrading telecom services in the affected areas.
According to PTA officials, the authority will act only after receiving formal instructions from the competent federal authorities. A request from the Punjab government, they clarified, does not by itself constitute a final order to shut down telecommunications services; that decision rests with the Ministry of Interior.
The Punjab Home Department had earlier requested the Ministry of Interior to suspend 2G, 3G and 4G services at specific locations in Rawalpindi starting September 27 at 9:00 am. The flagged locations include the route from Barahma Bhatar to the M-1, Gango, Ahata, Taxila City, Wah Saddar, Thallian and Chakri, with timings for other Rawalpindi locations to be shared separately.
The provincial government also requested that mobile and internet services across the entire Attock district be downgraded from September 27 onwards. The request, dated September 21, followed a communication from the Central Police Office, Punjab, citing anticipated law-and-order concerns.
As of September 23, no final decision has been made on suspending or downgrading services in the Rawalpindi region on September 27, leaving residents, businesses and commuters in a state of uncertainty just days ahead of the planned protest activity.
This comes shortly after a related report that Punjab was considering slowing down mobile and internet services amid protests more broadly across the province.
For now, connectivity in Rawalpindi and Attock remains intact; but the final call lies with federal authorities, and residents will be watching closely as September 27 approaches.
