On the directives of Interior Ministry, cellular companies suspended their services on Friday for a few hours for the second time in order to avert the Friday sermon of former cleric of Lal Masjid Maulana Abdul Aziz, it is learnt. Sources said that cellular companies suspended mobile services from 12:00 pm to 2:30 pm and internet services before and after Friday prayer to stop the address of Maulana Aziz at the Lal Masjid during Friday prayer.
"The decision to suspend mobile service was taken following special branch reports that Aziz will address the Friday sermon through cellphone or Skype at Lal Masjid", sources said.
Sources said that the cellular companies also suspended their services on December 11, due to reports of Maulana's Friday sermon as he reportedly had addressed the Friday sermon on December 4, through Skype. Keeping in view of the intelligence reports cellular and internet services were suspended for few hours, they added. Sources said that the government only suspended cellular and internet services whereas the district administration deployed heavy contingent of the Rangers and police around Lal Masjid to avert possible protest.
Sources said that the security was put on high alert across the city and the police conducted strict checking at police pickets. However, when contacted spokesman Shohda Foundation Hafiz Ihtiesham Ahmed said that Aziz has no plans to address the Friday sermon and will address next Friday sermon if the administration remains failed in fulfilling his demands.
A senior official of customer service said that the cellphone service provider has suspended the services following the directives of the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA). Aziz and Umme Hassan on November 13 while violating Section II-EE of Anti Terrorism Act (ATA) 1997 tried to stage rally from his home to Lal Majid to start his movement for enforcing Sharia law along with his students and members of some religious organisations which distributed the law and order situation in the city.
However, following the request of district administration, Aziz cancelled the rally and went back to his home after offering Friday prayer. The district administration had also issued a notice to Aziz and asked him to obey the law otherwise action would be taken against him under Section II-EE of Anti Terrorism Act (ATA) 1997 and he will be put under house arrest under 3 MPO of 1960.
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