Azad Kashmir High Court has ordered the government to restore internet service within 10 days, bringing a court deadline to a disruption that has stretched on and off since June and left businesses, students and freelancers without reliable connectivity for months.
Justice Shahid Bahar issued the directive on Wednesday while hearing petitions filed jointly by the Azad Kashmir Bar Association and a local resident, both seeking an end to the prolonged suspension. The judge ordered service restored across the territory within the given timeframe, carving out an exception only for areas where the security situation remains unstable.
The shutdown dates back to June 5, when authorities cut internet access after the banned Joint Awami Action Committee announced a long march and sit-in in Rawalakot. Connectivity remained down for roughly 48 days before a partial restoration, which itself was reversed on July 25 after a strike and clashes broke out in Muzaffarabad.
The government moved to lift the restrictions on August 31, when Prime Minister Iftikhar Gilani used his first press appearance at Muzaffarabad Press Club to announce that service would resume. A notification issued that day restored full internet access in four districts and partial access in four others. DSL connections came back online in Mirpur, Neelum and Haveli soon after, but Muzaffarabad itself has remained without full service.
Months of intermittent shutdown have taken a toll on the local economy. Businesses and government offices struggled to function normally, students lost access to online resources, and traders who rely on digital payment systems reported financial losses. Freelancers and government employees also described difficulty completing basic tasks without a stable connection.
