QUETTA: Authorities in Pakistan’s southwestern Balochistan province have suspended mobile Internet services across all 36 districts ahead of the country’s 78th Independence anniversary, citing security concerns and threats of attacks by separatist militants.

The move comes amid heightened tensions in the province, where separatist violence tends to spike during August, particularly around national celebrations.

The blackout will remain in place until August 31, a senior government official, privy to the decision, told Arab News on Wednesday, speaking on condition of anonymity.

“Due to security concerns and terrorist threats, the government has suspended mobile Internet in all 36 districts of Balochistan,” he said.

The move comes in anticipation of potential unrest during the August 14 national holiday in Balochistan, which borders Iran and Afghanistan and has long been the center of a low-level separatist insurgency.

Violence in the province has intensified in recent years, with ethnic Baloch militant groups such as the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) launching large-scale attacks, including suicide bombings, targeting security forces and Punjabi commuters.

Baloch separatist groups often escalate attacks against the Independence Day festivities. In past years, militants have thrown hand grenades at stalls selling the national flag, sometimes killing both vendors and buyers. Residents are routinely warned by BLA and other groups not to participate in the celebrations or display the Pakistani flag.

Last year in August, the province experienced the highest number of militant attacks that left 88 people, including security personnel and civilians, killed and 100 injured.

The separatist groups accuse the state of exploiting Balochistan’s vast natural resources, including coal, copper, gas and gold, without fairly distributing the benefits to local communities. They claim that successive governments have prioritized extraction over development, leaving the province impoverished despite its mineral wealth.

Pakistani authorities reject these allegations, maintaining that substantial development efforts are underway. Officials say infrastructure projects, health services and education initiatives have been expanded across the province in recent years.

Despite repeated calls and messages, Pakistan’s federal information minister did not respond to questions from Arab News regarding the suspension of Internet services.