No pillion riding, cell phone services to remain suspended during Ashura

Karachi traffic police has released the traffic plan for 8, 9 and 10th of Muharram. It has also emerged on Wednesday that the Sindh home department has decided to suspend cell phone services in major cities of the province including capital Karachi, Hyderabad and Khairpur on 9th and 10th Muharram.

Reportedly, cell phone services and wireless internet services will remain suspended from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on 9^th and 10^th Muharram.

Security has been beefed up across the county ahead of Muharram. Pillion riding has also been banned in Islamabad and other big cities as part of security arrangements for Muharram.

As per the Muharram contingency plan, police is ensuring strict security cover at over 1,520 Imambargahs, 12,700 Majalis, 4,150 mourning processions and 1,400 Tazia processions in the province. Electronic and visual surveillance and use of sniffer dogs for explosives detection and sweeping of routes and venues will be carried out by Bomb Disposal Unit, especially at under-construction buildings, local media reported.