Internet services have finally begun returning to Azad Jammu and Kashmir after a prolonged suspension, though the relief so far reaches only part of the region. The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) started restoring connectivity on Thursday evening, beginning with Mirpur Division on federal government directives. For residents cut off since June 5, it is a first breath of normalcy after roughly seven weeks offline.
The suspension followed a period of political unrest rather than any technical fault. Authorities suspended internet and mobile services across AJK after protests led by the Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee turned violent. The group had demanded the abolition of 12 refugee seats reserved in the AJK Assembly, and weeks of strikes, sit-ins, and clashes followed. The government later banned the committee under the Anti-Terrorism Act, and officials cited the law and order situation as the reason for the communications suspension.
The economic impact of the blackout was severe and wide-reaching. Businesses that depend on digital payments lost income daily, since customers simply could not transact. Online banking froze, government offices slowed, and thousands of consumers were left without access to essential services. In a region already economically fragile, a seven-week suspension meant real money lost from real households.
Like Pakistan, Kashmir’s growing community of freelancers, who rely entirely on stable connectivity to serve overseas clients, faced an impossible situation. A missed deadline or an unreachable client can end a contract, so the extended outage put livelihoods at risk. Students lost access to learning platforms, and professionals could not complete routine work. In addition, many students vying to appear for MDCAT exam face an impossible situation, as they still have to appear in their board exams, which got postponed due to the law and order situation in the region.
Despite a meagre one, the restoration step is deliberately partial and phased for now. Services returned to Mirpur city, Afzalpur, Chakswari, Kotli, Bhimber, and nearby areas on Thursday, while much of AJK remained offline. Officials say the rest will follow as the security situation improves, with connectivity restored in stages. Even where it returned, users reported intermittent disruptions and slow speeds rather than a clean recovery.
Restoration comes as the region prepares to vote. AJK holds elections in three phases, starting with Mirpur Division on July 27, then Muzaffarabad on August 2 and Poonch on August 10. Ahead of the restoration, PPP leaders had written to the AJK Election Commission urging that services be restored, arguing that connectivity was essential for election campaigns and for voters to access timely, accurate information.
For a population that increasingly lives, learns, and earns online, full recovery cannot come soon enough. The phased restoration will remain incomplete until every division is reconnected, and residents across Muzaffarabad and Poonch now wait for their own services to return ahead of their scheduled polls.
