On July 5, 2025, Pakistan implemented robust security measures for Muharram 9, suspending mobile phone and internet services in cities like Quetta, Sukkur, and Peshawar to safeguard processions honouring Hazrat Imam Hussain (AS). A simultaneous counter-terrorism operation neutralised threats.
To ensure public safety during Muharram 9 processions, mobile and internet services were suspended until 8:00 PM on July 5 in Quetta, Sukkur, Dadu, Jacobabad, Kohat, and other cities, per the Interior Ministry. Over 147,000 police personnel secured 1,689 processions and 3,900 majalis nationwide, with 10,000 in Lahore, per the Punjab Police. Islamabad’s new mobile control room, directed by Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, operates independently of cellular networks for seamless coordination.
Read: Muharram 9 Processions Held Across Pakistan Under Tight Security
Concurrently, a joint police and Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) operation in Lakki Marwat, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, eliminated three Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) Tipu Group terrorists—Wasim Ullah (Umar Khattab), Qudrat Ullah (Abu Bakr), and Hijrat Ullah—after a firefight in a remote village, per CTD officials. This follows a July 3 North Waziristan operation killing 30 militants, per ISPR, reinforcing security during the sensitive Muharram period.
Muharram 9, commemorating the martyrdom of Hazrat Imam Hussain (AS), draws millions to processions, with 45% deemed high-risk, according to Punjab Police data. Past sectarian incidents, like a 2023 Quetta blast killing 10, prompted mobile suspensions impacting 90 million users, per PTA, to curb misinformation.
