Punjab High Court Summons Home Department Official Over Mobile Network Disruption Caused by Jammers

PESHAWAR: The Punjab High Court summoned the provincial additional chief secretary (home) on Tuesday in response to petitions challenging the persistent and widespread disruption of mobile network signals across the high court premises and Judicial Complex, attributed to the installation of jammers in the nearby Peshawar Central Prison.

A bench comprising Justices Wiqar Ahmad and Inamullah Khan ordered the provincial government and the National Radio and Telecommunication Corporation (NRTC) to submit reports detailing the measures taken to address the issue. The court also directed the NRTC to identify any departments that have not cooperated in resolving the persistent problem.

The bench is hearing multiple petitions submitted by the PHC Bar Association and lawyers Hilal Khan and Suleman Shah, which allege that the installation of signal jammers at Peshawar Central Prison has disrupted telecommunications in nearby areas, including the high court, Judicial Complex, and other locations.

Petitioners insist jammers in Peshawar jail affecting signals in courts

PHCBA president Aminur Rehman Yousafzai stated that the jammers installed in the central prison have severely disrupted telecommunication signals at the courts’ premises for over a year, leading to numerous complications for lawyers, court officials, and litigants. He noted that respondents had assured the court nine months ago that the issue would be resolved and the impact of the jammers reduced to a limited area. However, Yousafzai emphasized that the issue persists, significantly affecting the courts’ daily operations. Peshawar Bar Association president Qaiser Zaman also reported disruptions to the lawyers’ functions, while the respondents have remained inactive. He further mentioned that the problem extends beyond the courts to nearby residential areas. Ali Gohar Durrani, a petitioner’s lawyer, pointed out that signals are typically restored after 4 p.m.

The court noted that adjusting the frequency or timing of the jammers could resolve the issue.

Jehanzeb Mehsud, counsel for the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority, clarified that while the authority is a respondent, it is not directly involved. He explained that the NRTC installed the jammers following an agreement with the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government.

In the previous year, the then Additional Chief Secretary (Home and Tribal Affairs), Mohammad Abid Majeed, had informed the court that a significant number of high-risk and high-profile prisoners, including those affiliated with proscribed organizations, were detained in the province’s main central prisons in Peshawar, Mardan, and Haripur. Despite stringent security measures, some inmates managed to obtain unauthorized mobile phones, allegedly used to maintain contact with external associates for unlawful or dangerous activities. Majeed stated that the home and tribal affairs department opted to install signal jammers at the jail premises via an agreement with the NRTC to disrupt inmates’ communications, which may have inadvertently affected telecommunications in nearby areas, including the Judicial Complex.

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