Mobile network and internet suspension in Bannu, Bajaur, and Tank triggered heated protests in the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Assembly on Monday, with lawmakers from both the treasury and opposition benches demanding an explanation from the provincial government over the prolonged blackout.
The session saw ruling party MPA Pakhtoon Yar Khan walk out after failing to receive a satisfactory response from the concerned minister on the complete shutdown of mobile services in Bannu.
Deputy Speaker Suraya Bibi later persuaded him to return to the House after offering assurances that the matter would be addressed.
Raising the issue on a point of order, Pakhtoon Yar Khan said mobile networks in Bannu had been entirely suspended, creating an impression among residents that a curfew was in force and that normal life had come to a standstill.
Special Assistant on Technical Education Usman Betani had earlier raised the closure of mobile towers in Tank, while MPA Anwar Zeb informed the House that mobile and internet services in Bajaur had remained suspended for several months.
ANP lawmaker Nisar Baz, speaking from the opposition benches, linked the prolonged suspension to a decline in the writ of the government in Bajaur, pointing to a pattern of daily security incidents in the district.
Deputy Speaker Suraya Bibi noted that mobile services fall under federal jurisdiction and directed that a provincial coordination committee meeting be convened to resolve the issue.
Provincial Law Minister Aftab Alam told the Assembly that no curfew was in place in Bannu and that only routine, intelligence-based measures were being carried out.
Pakhtoon Yar Khan disputed this, citing an official post on the social media page of the Deputy Commissioner of Bannu that referenced directives for a curfew and mobile service suspension, which had also led to the postponement of ETA tests. He asked who was providing inaccurate information to the minister.
Following repeated exchanges between Pakhtoon Yar Khan and the minister, the Deputy Speaker directed the Home Department to compile a detailed report, consult with relevant authorities, and present its findings before the House.
