Communication blackout raises concerns in Pakistan's Balochistan for second day

In a part of Pakistan called Balochistan, phones and the internet suddenly stopped working for many people.

This happened for two days in a row, mostly because the government was worried about security problems.

Some phone calls started working again, but the internet stayed off in many places.

In one area called Nushki, banks and other financial services also closed down, and they may stay closed until the end of August.

Because of this, some workers and retired people could not get their monthly pay to buy food and medicine.

Students could not pay for school, and business owners were upset.

People asked the leaders to turn the phone and bank services back on.

Meanwhile, some people in Balochistan were getting ready to celebrate their own Independence Day, which happens every year.

A human rights leader named Mir Yar Baloch said the shutdowns were meant to stop these celebrations, because many Baloch people do not want Pakistan to rule their land.

This disagreement goes back to 1947, when the area briefly declared itself independent before Pakistan took control.