MIRPUR (Kashmir English): Internet services were partially restored in several areas of Mirpur division on Thursday evening after 45 days of suspension, providing relief to residents, businesses, students, and freelancers.
As per details, the internet connectivity is being restored in phases across parts of Mirpur, Bhimber, and Kotli districts.
The restoration has enabled the resumption of social media platforms and other online services.
Members of the business community added that the prolonged internet shutdown had severely disrupted commercial activities, banking services, e-commerce, and online transactions.
According to the administration, internet services will gradually be restored across all remaining areas of the division.
The development came after Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari thanked his party’s Azad Kashmir chapter for their efforts and the Election Commission of AJK for their intervention to restore internet services.
In a statement shared on social media, Bhutto said, “I’m hearing internet and digital connectivity will be restored in Mirpur AJK soon. I’m hopeful our requests for Muzaffarabad and other areas are also accepted as soon as possible.”
Earlier on Tuesday, PPP AJK President Chaudhry Muhammad Yasin wrote a letter 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.
Yasin said that the election campaign is being severely affected due to the prolonged suspension of internet service in various areas.
On Monday, while talking with Kashmir Digital, Bilawal Bhutto 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.
