Pakistan bans BlackBerry services for foreign diplomats
By IANSMonday, January 31, 2011
ISLAMABAD - Pakistan has banned BlackBerry services for all foreign diplomats working in the country with immediate effect, a media report said Monday.
The orders to suspend all blackberry services for staffers of foreign missions stationed across Pakistan were conveyed by the government to Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), Aaj TV reported.
PTA passed on the orders to all cell phone operators and the decision has been implemented forthwith. No “official reason has been given” for taking this decision at this stage, the channel said.
Quoting anonymous sources, the channel said: “The investigations under way in the Ramond Davis case could possibly be a reason behind it as the government is willing to put a check on the activities of foreign diplomatic and other staff”.
Ramond Davis, a staff member of the US embassy in Islamabad, was arrested in Lahore last week for shooting two young men riding a motorbike.
He has been remanded in police custody where he has claimed acting in self-defence. The US embassy has sought diplomatic immunity for Davis, which has so far been denied by the government as well as the Foreign Office.
