Broadband internet services have been restored across Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) as of Sunday at 12am, ending a suspension that lasted 99 days apart from a brief restoration of just over 40 hours during that period. DSL connectivity has also been restored alongside broadband, though 3G and 4G mobile internet services will remain unavailable for a few more days, meaning the relief extends specifically to fixed line users rather than the broader population reliant on mobile data. The restoration follows an earlier partial rollout limited to Muzaffarabad, the AJK capital, extending that relief to cover the entire region rather than just its most populous urban centre.
The restoration is expected to provide meaningful relief to students, businesses, journalists, professionals, and households across AJK that had struggled to access online services throughout the prolonged suspension, with residents welcoming the government’s decision and describing it as significant relief, particularly for students and the business community. The continued absence of 3G and 4G services, however, means users without access to fixed line DSL connections will remain without connectivity for now, a gap that will likely be felt most acutely in areas where DSL infrastructure is limited or unavailable. The restoration of DSL services comes amid sustained pressure from residents and business communities across the region, who have continued to demand a return to normal internet connectivity throughout the months long disruption.
The move 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 petitions, one filed by the AJK Bar Association and another by a local citizen, both seeking restoration of internet services, with the court clubbing the petitions together and directing the government to comply while allowing exceptions for areas where law and order conditions did not permit resumption. The judicial order added a firm timeline to what had otherwise been a gradual, government managed restoration process, giving affected residents and legal advocates a concrete enforcement mechanism to point to going forward.
The 99-day suspension traces back to June 5, when internet services were initially cut off following a long march and sit-in announced by the banned Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) in Rawalakot. After roughly 48 days, services were partially restored across several districts, but connectivity in Muzaffarabad was suspended again on July 25 following a strike and subsequent clashes, prolonging the disruption specifically for the capital well beyond what other AJK districts experienced. AJK Prime Minister Iftikhar Gilani had announced a partial restoration plan during his first media interaction at the Muzaffarabad Press Club on August 31, with DSL services subsequently returning to areas including Mirpur, Neelum, and Haveli before this latest restoration extended broadband access across the remainder of the region. The prolonged disruption took a heavy toll on economic and professional activity throughout AJK, with students among the worst affected, traders reliant on digital payments suffering financial losses, and freelancers, government employees, and other professionals facing persistent difficulty carrying out routine work without dependable internet access.
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