Internet services in the popular tourist destination of Murree have remained completely suspended for the past 10 days due to regional security operations and ongoing unrest.
Deputy Commissioner (DC) Zaheer Shirazi confirmed that the prolonged digital blackout in the hill station was triggered by the volatile situation developing across nearby Azad Jammu Kashmir.
The senior official explained that major telecommunication signal towers are physically installed right on the geographical border separating Murree directly from neighbouring Kashmir territory.
Because cellular networks and data services were officially deactivated in AJK, neighbouring Pakistani regions including Murree and Kotli Sattian suffered severe collateral technical disruptions.
Local residents, foreign tourists, commercial business owners, academic institutions, and government offices are currently facing immense operational challenges due to this total lack of connectivity.
It is worth noting that internet services have been suspended in AJK since June 8, severely disrupting the lives of students, freelancers, and ordinary citizens.
Residents reported being forced to travel outside AJK to access basic online services, with many crossing into neighbouring KP to perform urgent digital tasks they could not complete at home.
Ryan Khan, a student from Muzaffarabad, said he had travelled to Garhi Habibullah in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Friday just to submit documents online at a facility there.
He reported seeing dozens of other AJK residents at the same location, all having made the journey specifically to access internet services unavailable back in their own towns.
Khan urged authorities to restore internet access immediately, saying that the prolonged shutdown was threatening the academic future of students across the entire region.
