ISLAMABAD: Jam Kamal Khan, the chief Minister of Pakistan’s southern Balochistan province, said on Thursday a notification had been passed to restore Internet services in remote parts of the province after five years.
Balochistan is Pakistan’s largest but least populated and most impoverished province. It has long been the scene of a low-level insurgency by local nationalists, who want more of a share in the regional resources.
Internet services were suspended in parts of the province five years ago due to deteriorating security conditions.
“Notification issued to restore mobile Internet service closed for five years in six districts of Balochistan,” Khan said on Twitter.
بلوچستان کے چھ اضلاع میں پانچ سالوں سے بند موبائل انٹرنیٹ سروس بحال کرنے کا نوٹیفکیشن جاری pic.twitter.com/PWe1qVxQCh
— Jam Kamal Khan (@jam_kamal) June 3, 2021
Other than remote parts of Balochistan, PTA also restored Internet services in Khyber district of the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, PTA said “after review of security situation by concerned departments, instructions have been issued to telecom operators for restoration of Internet services in Khyber District of KPK & various areas of certain districts of Balochistan.”
These include Turbat city, Kech, Awaran, Panjgur, Washuk and Kalat.
PTA said it hoped the restoration of data services would help residents fulfill their educational, health, commerce and communication needs: “Restoration of Internet services in other areas will be implemented in a phased manner, subject to review of security situation.”