The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has not received any formal instructions to suspend or downgrade telecom services in Rawalpindi or Attock.
Officials confirmed that no final directive has been issued to the authority so far. The development comes ahead of a planned protest on September 27.
The Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication also confirmed the situation. It said the Ministry of Interior has not directed the PTA to suspend telecom services.
The authority will only take action after receiving formal instructions from the relevant federal authorities. A request from the Punjab government alone does not amount to a final suspension order.
The Punjab Home Department had earlier requested restrictions on mobile services in selected parts of Rawalpindi. The request covers September 27 and starts from 9:00 am.
The provincial department asked for the suspension of 2G, 3G, and 4G services at specified locations. These areas include the route from Barahma Bhatar to the M-1.
Other locations mentioned in the request include Gango, Ahata, and Taxila City. Wah Saddar, Thallian, and Chakri were also included.
Punjab officials said service timings for other specified areas would be shared separately. The request was linked to expected security and law-and-order concerns.
The provincial government also sought a downgrade of mobile and internet services across Attock district. The proposed restrictions were requested from September 27 onward.
The request was dated September 21 and was sent to the Ministry of Interior. It followed communication from the Central Police Office in Punjab.
The police communication referred to the expected law-and-order situation during the planned activity. However, the request has not resulted in a final federal directive.
As of September 23, no final decision has been made on telecom restrictions in Rawalpindi. The same applies to the proposed service downgrade in Attock.
The PTA has maintained that it requires formal instructions before taking such action. Therefore, telecom services remain unaffected by any final suspension order at this stage.
Any decision to suspend or downgrade services would depend on directions from competent federal authorities. Until then, the requested restrictions remain proposals rather than confirmed measures.
Mobile and internet users in the affected areas should therefore distinguish between the provincial request and an approved suspension order. The current position is that no formal directive has reached the PTA.
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Further developments could depend on decisions by the Ministry of Interior and other relevant authorities. Any confirmed restrictions would require official instructions to the telecom regulator.
