Supreme Court Voids Islamabad High Court Verdict In Cellular Phone Services Suspension Case

Supreme Court Wednesday annulled the Islamabad High Court (IHC) verdict in a case regarding suspension of cellular phone services

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 22nd Apr, 2020 ):Supreme Court Wednesday annulled the Islamabad High Court (IHC) verdict in a case regarding suspension of cellular phone services.

A two-member bench of the apex court comprising Justice Umar Ata Bandial and Justice Qazi Muhammad Amin Ahmed heard the case.

During the course of proceedings, the court directed the mobile phone service providers to contact the federal government if they had concerns regarding the duration of service suspension, scope and area.

The court said mobile phone service was shut down to prevent unpleasant and terrorist incidents. The court observed that the IHC did not take these facts into account while issuing the verdict. The court also observed that the mobile phone companies had not challenged the high court decision for many years.

The court said mobile phone companies had expressed their concerns in the high court and not before the federal government.

The counsel for Zong company said Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) had issued instructions to shut down mobile phone service at any festival. If there was a security problem, there should be instructions to stop the service in a specific area, but instead of that the PTA had instructed the companies to shut down the service throughout the city, the counsel added.

Justice Umar Ata Bandial said mobile service suspension instructions must be valid and transparent.

Justice Qazi Muhammad Amin said if there was peace in the country, everyone should be benefited from the service. He said the country needed business and foreign investment.

He said a foreign company could not dictate the government regarding shutting down of service.

Justice Umar Ata Bandial said companies must comply with the state's laws.