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QUETTA: Authorities in Pakistan’s southwestern Balochistan province ordered the suspension of 3G and 4G mobile Internet services across Quetta district on Thursday, citing “peculiar law and order” concerns and unspecified threats, according to an official notification.

The order, issued by the provincial home department, directs the suspension of all mobile data services for 24 hours on Oct. 31, from 00:00 to 24:00 hours, across the entire district.

It said the decision was taken to address a “threat perception” without providing details about the nature of the risk.
“Owing to the peculiar law and order situation and threat perceptions, the services of 3G and 4G services are required to be jammed in District Quetta,” the notification said.

Balochistan, Pakistan’s largest but poorest province, has long been plagued by an insurgency that has intensified in recent months, with separatist militants increasingly targeting security personnel, government officials, infrastructure and non-local residents.

The province is strategically significant for its vast mineral wealth and as a transit hub for the multibillion-dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), with groups like the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) demanding independence while accusing the central government of exploiting local resources, a charge Islamabad denies.

The provincial capital of Quetta has also witnessed deadly militant attacks in the past, with a major explosion near the paramilitary Frontier Corps headquarters killing at least 10 people and injuring around 30 last month.

The notification, marked “most immediate,” was addressed to the interior ministry in Islamabad and copied to top provincial and federal officials, including the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), police and district administration for implementation.

The mobile phone suspension comes a day after Balochistan Chief Minister Sardar Sarfaraz Bugti announced new capacity-building measures for the police and said more than 500 militants had been killed this year in the province amid escalating violence.

He said the government was consolidating specialized counterterrorism and rapid-response units under a unified police structure, while members of the paramilitary Levies Force who opted not to transfer to the police would be offered voluntary retirement with benefits.

Bugti also said the province was working to revive police morale through revised pay packages and new welfare measures for the families of officers killed in the line of duty.

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan is hoping for a “positive” outcome of its next round of talks with Afghanistan in Istanbul, the foreign office in Islamabad said on Friday, a day after both sides agreed to extend their ceasefire.

The two neighbors engaged in deadly clashes this month that killed dozens of soldiers, civilians and militants dead, before a temporary ceasefire was reached in Doha on Oct. 19. A second round of talks that started in Istanbul on Oct. 25 failed to reach breakthrough earlier this week, but Turkiye announced on Thursday evening that the ceasefire would continue.

The clashes erupted after Pakistan launched airstrikes inside Afghanistan against Pakistani Taliban militants it says are based there and responsible for attacks on its forces. Kabul condemned the strikes as a violation of its sovereignty and denies sheltering the group. The border, which runs more than 2,600 km (1,600 miles), has long been a source of friction with frequent skirmishes and mutual accusations over militant sanctuaries.

Speaking at a weekly press briefing on Friday, Pakistani foreign office spokesman Tahir Andrabi said Islamabad has always been desirous of peace and a stable Afghanistan, but the Pakistani armed forces stand ready to take “all possible measures to protect Pakistan’s sovereignty and ensure safety and security of its people.”

“Pakistan would continue to remain engaged in the mediation process and hopes for a positive outcome for the 6th November talks [in Istanbul],” Andrabi said, appreciating Qatar and Turkiye for their mediation. “They’ve been making their best efforts for an amicable and peaceful resolution of the issue.”

Pakistan has long accused Afghanistan of allowing the use of its soil by militant groups, particularly the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) that has stepped up attacks inside Pakistan in recent years. Kabul denies the allegation.

The clashes erupted on Oct. 11 after Pakistan conducted airstrikes on what it called TTP-affiliated targets in Afghanistan. Kabul said it was a violation of its sovereignty.

“All parties have agreed to put in place a monitoring and verification mechanism that will ensure maintenance of peace and impose penalties on the violating party,” Turkiye’s Foreign Ministry said of the October 25–30 talks.

It added that a follow-up meeting would be held in Istanbul on November 6 to decide how the mechanism will be implemented, and that Turkiye and Qatar “stand ready to continue cooperation with both sides for lasting peace and stability.”

Kabul government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid issued a separate statement shortly before midnight in Istanbul confirming the conclusion of the talks and saying both sides had agreed to continue discussions in future meetings.

A senior Pakistani security official, requesting anonymity, said Islamabad viewed the Istanbul understanding as a welcome step but a conditional truce, hinging on verifiable action by Kabul.

“This ceasefire is not open-ended or unconditional. The single litmus test for its continuation is that Afghanistan will not allow its territory to be used for attacks against Pakistan and will take clear, verifiable and effective steps against [militants],” the official said.

“If Afghanistan fails to deliver verifiable proof of agreed steps, or if militants continue to launch attacks from Afghan soil, Pakistan will deem the ceasefire violated and reserves all options to safeguard its sovereignty and citizens.”