MUZAFFARABAD (Kashmir English): Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) President Chaudhry Muhammad Yasin on Tuesday wrote to the AJK Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Ghulam Mustafa, demanding the immediate restoration of internet services across the region before the upcoming general elections, scheduled to start on July 27.
Yesterday, while talking with Kashmir Digital, Chairman PPP Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said that his party would write to the federal government and the Election Commission to seek the immediate restoration of internet services in the region.
Responding to the question, Bhutto said that the decision of internet suspension does not lie with the AJK government, noting that internet services are controlled by federal institutions.
“The internet shutdown is affecting the common citizen, economy, business, education and electoral process,” the former foreign minister added.
Following this, the PPP AJK President today wrote a letter to the AJK Election Commissioner, saying that the election campaign is being severely affected due to the prolonged suspension of internet service in various areas.
“In the modern era, the internet plays a fundamental role in election campaigning, providing accurate information to the public and promoting the manifestos and programs of the candidates,” Yasin said.
He added that the unavailability of internet is restricting the public’s access to timely and authentic information at a crucial stage of the electoral process while allowing misinformation and fake news to spread.
The letter further stressed that all political parties and candidates must be provided equal opportunities to campaign for the conduct of free, fair and transparent elections
“The continuous shutdown of the internet is not only hindering the continuity of the election campaign but is also negatively affecting the voters’ right to information,” it stated.
Therefore, Yasin appealed to the election commissioner to “immediately engage with the relevant authorities to restore internet services” throughout Azad Kashmir to ensure transparency of the electoral process and uninterrupted continuity of the election campaign.
He said uninterrupted internet access would enable voters to make informed decisions and exercise their democratic right to vote more effectively and participate fully in the electoral process.
AJK polls rescheduled
The AJK CEC Justice (retd) Ghulam Mustafa Mughal today announced that elections in the region, which were originally planned for July 27, would now be held in three phases.
The election commissioner said that polls will be held in 13 constituencies of Mirpur division on July 27, nine constituencies of Muzaffarabad division and all 12 refugee constituencies on August 2, and 11 constituencies of Poonch division on August 10.
CEC Mughal explained that the decision was made to ensure the availability of army personnel in all divisions in sufficient numbers for security duties at the insistence of participating political parties.
