ISLAMABAD: The Federal Ministry of Interior has refused to disclose the reasons behind the shutdown of mobile and internet services on February 8, the day of Pakistan’s general elections, citing national security concerns.
A request for information on the disruption was filed with the Pakistan Information Commission, which sought clarity on why communication services were halted during the crucial electoral process. However, the Interior Ministry invoked the Right to Information Act, arguing that revealing the details could jeopardize national security. As a result, the commission granted the ministry an exemption from providing the requested information.
The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) confirmed that it acted in accordance with federal government orders, implementing the service shutdown based on directives from the Interior Ministry. The Information Commission has yet to issue a detailed ruling on the matter, and the Ministry of Information has remained silent regarding the classification of the information. The Interior Ministry’s stance emphasizes that disclosing specific reasons for the service disruption would undermine national security measures.
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