<p>Cellular services were tonight suspended in four major Pakistani cities, including Lahore and Karachi, to prevent terrorist attacks using bombs triggered with mobile phones, Interior Minister Rehman Malik said.<br /><br />Millions of people in Lahore, Multan, Karachi and Quetta were unable to use their mobile phones from 8 pm as cellular operators suspended all services in most parts of these cities on the directions of the Interior Ministry.<br /><br />"We have done it to stop bombings using mobile phones," Malik said during an interaction with reporters when he made a surprise inspection of security at a market in Islamabad late tonight.<br /><br />He said the Interior Ministry had made arrangements to suspend cellular services in Islamabad too in the event of any emergency.<br /><br />Mobile phone services could be restored in the four cities during the night so that people could wish their relatives and friends for the festival of Eid-ul-Fitr.<br /><br />However, services would be suspended again between 7 am and 10 am tomorrow to prevent possible terror attacks on congregations offering Eid prayers, Malik said.<br /><br />"The objective of the Pakistan government is to save lives. There will be some inconvenience due to the lack of mobile services but I will request the people to bear with it," he said.<br /><br />The decision to suspend cellular services was made following intelligence reports of possible terror attacks during the Eid holidays, he said.<br /><br />"There have been instances of mobile phones being used as detonators in bomb attacks," he said.<br /><br />However, the move was sharply criticised by residents of the four cities. </p>
<p>Cellular services were tonight suspended in four major Pakistani cities, including Lahore and Karachi, to prevent terrorist attacks using bombs triggered with mobile phones, Interior Minister Rehman Malik said.<br /><br />Millions of people in Lahore, Multan, Karachi and Quetta were unable to use their mobile phones from 8 pm as cellular operators suspended all services in most parts of these cities on the directions of the Interior Ministry.<br /><br />"We have done it to stop bombings using mobile phones," Malik said during an interaction with reporters when he made a surprise inspection of security at a market in Islamabad late tonight.<br /><br />He said the Interior Ministry had made arrangements to suspend cellular services in Islamabad too in the event of any emergency.<br /><br />Mobile phone services could be restored in the four cities during the night so that people could wish their relatives and friends for the festival of Eid-ul-Fitr.<br /><br />However, services would be suspended again between 7 am and 10 am tomorrow to prevent possible terror attacks on congregations offering Eid prayers, Malik said.<br /><br />"The objective of the Pakistan government is to save lives. There will be some inconvenience due to the lack of mobile services but I will request the people to bear with it," he said.<br /><br />The decision to suspend cellular services was made following intelligence reports of possible terror attacks during the Eid holidays, he said.<br /><br />"There have been instances of mobile phones being used as detonators in bomb attacks," he said.<br /><br />However, the move was sharply criticised by residents of the four cities. </p>