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  • Aug 20th, 2012
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Mobile phone service in some parts of the country will be suspended for some time during the first day of Eid to avert a terrorist threat in the country, Interior Minister Rehman Malik said on Sunday.

Talking to reporters after presiding over a meeting, Malik said that the government had received some credible information that terrorists "may target a few areas in Punjab, Sindh and Balochistan". "We should be ready to pre-empt any untoward incident." the minister said.

Malik said that the mobile services would be suspended without prior notice near "sensitive and red zone" areas.

"The Ministry of Interior is working day and night to counter any possible threat," he added.

He apologised to public in advance in case mobile phone services were blocked on emergency basis. He said he had already made it clear that no negligence would be tolerated on the part of law-enforcement agencies.

He said India's Interior Minister had contacted him on phone to discuss the regional situation, including rumours regarding Assam.

Some media reports had earleier suggested that unrest had forced thousands to flee Karnataka, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu.

Rehman said that the Indian minister had informed him that speculations had been "generated from Pakistan". He said that he had asked the Indian minister to share evidence, proving his claims.

Malik said that Pakistan was not interested in it as "it is an internal matter of India".

"If at all any call was initiated from Pakistan, please share evidence, we will take action and report back to Indian authorities," he said.

Malik's statement came after Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde on Sunday called him up over the issue of social media-networking sites being misused by elements based in Pakistan to circulate false pictures and stories to whip up communal sentiments in India.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2012


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