Broadband internet services will be restored across Muzaffarabad, the capital city of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), giving residents access to fixed line internet after prolonged restrictions on mobile data services. According to sources, DSL connectivity will be restored while 3G and 4G mobile internet services will remain unavailable, meaning the relief will be limited to those with existing fixed line connections rather than extending to the broader population reliant on mobile data. The move is expected to provide some relief to students, businesses, journalists, professionals, and households that have faced difficulties accessing online services during the suspension of mobile internet, though users without access to DSL infrastructure will continue to face connectivity gaps.
The restoration follows a directive from AJK High Court Judge Justice Shahid Bahar, who ordered on Wednesday that internet services be restored within 10 days. Justice Bahar issued the directive during the preliminary hearing of two separate petitions filed by the AJK Bar Association and a local citizen seeking restoration of internet services, with the court clubbing the petitions together and directing the government to ensure restoration within the specified timeframe, while allowing an exception for areas where law and order conditions did not permit resumption. The judicial intervention adds legal weight to what has largely been a series of incremental, government announced restorations over the preceding months, giving affected residents and business groups a concrete enforcement mechanism rather than relying solely on continued advocacy and public pressure.
The disruption in AJK dates back to June 5, when internet services were initially suspended following a long march and sit-in announced by the banned Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) in Rawalakot. After roughly 48 days of disruption, services were partially restored across several districts including Mirpur, Kotli, and Bhimber, but connectivity in Muzaffarabad was suspended again on July 25 following a strike and subsequent clashes, extending the disruption specifically for the AJK capital well beyond what other districts experienced. On August 31, on the directives of AJK Prime Minister Iftikhar Gilani, authorities issued a notification partially restoring internet services in several districts, with DSL services subsequently restored in areas including Mirpur, Neelum, and Haveli, though full connectivity remained unavailable in Muzaffarabad until this latest restoration announcement.
The prolonged suspension has taken a heavy toll on economic and professional activity across the region, with students among the worst affected and traders dependent on digital payments suffering financial losses. Freelancers, government employees, and other professionals have also faced difficulties performing routine work due to the lack of reliable internet access, a pattern that has repeated across multiple rounds of disruption and partial restoration throughout the summer months. With DSL services set to return in Muzaffarabad but 3G and 4G mobile internet still unavailable, residents dependent solely on mobile data will continue to face connectivity gaps even as the broader restoration process moves forward under the court’s mandated timeline.
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