Tech Desk 
Jan 06, 2025
Mobile phone and internet services in Quetta have been suspended for two days starting Sunday night as a precautionary measure. Reports suggested the services may resume by Tuesday, January 7, at midnight.
However, JUI-F Balochistan leader Maulana Abdul Wasay said, “The protest will continue until we get our rights.”
The suspension follows a shutter-down strike called by Jamiat Ulema-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) to protest alleged “rigging.”
Over the past year, Pakistan has already suffered significant financial losses due to internet outages. According to Top10VPN.com, the country lost $1.62 billion in 2024 alone—the highest globally—surpassing nations including Myanmar and Sudan. Pakistan experienced 18 internet shutdowns last year, affecting 83 million users and costing businesses dearly. These disruptions lasted up to 9,735 hours.
The most expensive disruption occurred with the temporary suspension of X (formerly Twitter) since February 2024, incurring losses of $1.34 billion. Another shutdown in Balochistan during protests in July and August cost $11.8 million over 864 hours.
Meanwhile, in PB-45 Quetta constituency, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) candidate Ali Madad Khattak prevailed in re-polling with 6,883 votes, followed by Nasarullah Zayrai of PMAP and JUI-F’s Usman Pirkani with 4,122 and 3,731 votes, according to unofficial results.
Earlier, the Supreme Court upheld an election tribunal’s decision to recount votes at 15 polling stations in PB-45. The recount exposed discrepancies in Form 45, increasing the petitioner’s votes by 4,912. The court ruled against the appeal by PPP’s Mir Ali Madad Jatak, who confirmed the tribunal’s findings.
