Punjab Seeks Mobile Network Restrictions in Rawalpindi and Attock as Section 144 Takes Effect

Residents of Taxila, Wah Sadar and Chakri could find their phones unreliable from September 27. Sources say the Punjab Home Department has asked the federal government to impose network restrictions in Rawalpindi and Attock as the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) prepares to march towards Islamabad.

The request was reported by well-placed sources on Wednesday. It arrives alongside a province-wide Section 144 order, a request for Rangers and the closure of major highways around the capital.

What Punjab has asked for

The Home Department wrote to the federal Ministry of Interior. According to sources, the letter seeks the suspension of mobile and internet services, along with weaker signals, in selected areas of Rawalpindi and Attock.

In Rawalpindi, the named areas are Brahma, Bahter, Taxila, Wah Sadar and Chakri. The Attock locations have not been reported.

Officials said the request came from police authorities and is meant to maintain law and order. They added that protecting lives and property is the provincial government’s top priority. No end date for the network restrictions has been given.

The PTI march behind the measures

The PTI has called for a nationwide protest and a march towards Islamabad on September 27. It is demanding the release of its incarcerated founder, Imran Khan, and the supremacy of the Constitution. PTI Chairman Gohar Khan has said the march will go ahead despite the blockade.

Authorities have detained three of Khan’s sisters and hundreds of party activists in recent days, citing public order. The Interior Minister has warned that police are instructed to respond forcefully if the march turns violent.

The party’s last large-scale protest, two years ago, ended in deadly clashes with security forces. Reports also point to public frustration over inflation and rising fuel prices that extends beyond the party’s core supporters.

Section 144, Rangers and highway closures

The Home Department has imposed Section 144 across Punjab until October 5, according to its notification. It bans gatherings of five or more people at public places, on roads and in open spaces. Rallies, processions, sit-ins and demonstrations are also prohibited.

Carrying or displaying weapons in public is banned, as is encouraging people to join unlawful gatherings. Weddings, funeral prayers, burials, mosques and other places of worship are exempt.

On the roads, the National Highways and Motorway Police said three routes would close from Wednesday night. The M1 is shut in both directions between Islamabad Toll Plaza and Chhachh Interchange. The M14, the CPEC route, is closed between Hakla and Kundal, and GT Road is closed at Attock Khurd.

The National Highway Authority described the closures as covering two major highways linking Islamabad to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which the PTI governs. An Interior Ministry official said nearly 35,000 additional police and paramilitary personnel are stationed in and around the capital. Shipping containers have been placed around the government district, which houses parliament, the prime minister’s residence and foreign embassies.

What network restrictions would mean on the ground

The reports mention both suspension and weaker signals, which are different measures. It is not yet clear which would apply. 2G carries voice calls and SMS as well as basic data, so restrictions across networks could affect calls and texts along with internet access.

Everyday activity in these areas depends on mobile data. Ride-hailing, delivery, mobile wallets, online classes and freelance work all run on it. Small businesses that take orders or payments by phone would feel it first.

One overlap is worth watching. Taxila and Wah lie along the GT Road corridor west of the capital, and GT Road is closed at Attock Khurd. If the restrictions follow the closures, communication and movement would be limited in the same belt at the same time.

Governments have a duty to prevent violence, and the last PTI protest shows why authorities are cautious. Temporary mobile curbs around protests and security operations are not new in Pakistan. But network restrictions affect everyone in the area, including people who have nothing to do with the march.

A narrower approach would name the affected sites, set an end date and say who decides when service returns. At the moment, the public knows the start date and little else. Until officials publish the boundaries, residents in these areas cannot plan for Sunday.