MIRPUR: Mobile phone and internet services have started returning to Mirpur and nearby areas of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) after remaining suspended for 45 days. The restoration has brought relief to residents, businesses, and students who had been facing communication difficulties.
The disruption affected daily life across Mirpur for more than six weeks. People struggled to access online services, stay connected with family members, and carry out business activities. Many residents also faced challenges in using digital platforms for education and work.
The restoration of internet services was confirmed on Thursday as connectivity gradually resumed across the city and adjoining areas. Authorities have not yet announced whether all locations have been fully restored, but services have started returning in many parts of the region.
Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari welcomed the development through a post on X. He said he had been informed that internet and digital connectivity in Mirpur AJK would soon be restored.
Bilawal thanked the AJK PPP leadership for its efforts and also acknowledged the role of the AJK Election Commission in helping resolve the issue. He expressed hope that similar steps would be taken to restore internet and mobile phone services in Muzaffarabad and other affected areas as soon as possible.
During the recent election campaign, Bilawal repeatedly called for the restoration of communication services across AJK. He argued that the suspension had created unnecessary hardships for ordinary citizens.
While addressing party workers in Mirpur a day earlier, Bilawal said both the protesters and the state were causing difficulties for the public through the continued suspension of communication services. He urged authorities to restore normal connectivity before the upcoming elections.
The return of internet services comes just days before the AJK elections are scheduled to begin. Election officials have announced that polling will take place in three phases across the region.
According to AJK Chief Election Commissioner Ghulam Mustafa Mughal, voting in Mirpur Division will be held on July 27. Elections in Muzaffarabad Division are scheduled for August 2, while Poonch Division will vote on August 10.
Communication services had been suspended last month after protests linked to the banned Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC). The demonstrations called for the abolition of 12 refugee seats in the AJK Assembly and later turned violent.
Following the unrest, the AJK government declared JAAC a proscribed organisation under the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA). The decision was taken shortly before the group’s planned June 9 protest over the refugee seats reserved for people who migrated from Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) after 1947.
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The restoration of internet services is expected to improve communication, support business activity, and help election preparations across Mirpur. Residents hope the remaining areas of AJK will also see connectivity restored soon, allowing normal life to resume before the election process begins.
