Islamabad, September 16, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
The prolonged internet shutdown in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), imposed amid protests and political unrest, has raised concerns over freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and access to information, with a recent legal analysis arguing that the blanket restrictions are inconsistent with Pakistan’s international obligations.
Internet services were suspended across Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) on June 5, 2026, following the government’s decision to proscribe the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) ahead of planned demonstrations. The shutdown subsequently continued for weeks, disrupting education, businesses, digital payments and election-related activities.
In an analysis published by Opinio Juris, Mohammad Zayaan Asmi argued that the indefinite and blanket shutdown prima facie infringes the right to peaceful assembly under Article 21 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). He said internet access has become an important means of organising protests and expressing political views, while Article 21 protections extend to the use of communication technologies.
The analysis also questioned the transparency of Pakistan’s system for ordering internet shutdowns. According to Asmi, directives are generally routed through security or police agencies to the National Crisis Management Cell (NCMC) in the Interior Ministry, with the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) subsequently communicating implementation orders to internet service providers.
He argued that the lack of public access to shutdown orders makes it difficult to challenge restrictions on substantive grounds and creates what he described as a systemic transparency and accountability problem.
The shutdown coincided with a wider confrontation between the AJK authorities and the JAAC. The movement, which initially focused on issues including electricity prices and the cost of essential commodities, subsequently expanded to political and constitutional demands. Protests were accompanied by clashes, arrests and allegations of excessive use of force.
The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP), in a fact-finding mission conducted after the unrest, attributed the confrontation to longstanding political and socioeconomic grievances, institutional distrust and governance deficits. It also raised concerns over restrictions on freedom of expression and connectivity and what it described as disproportionate use of force.
The HRCP said the restrictions had implications beyond the political dispute, affecting freedom of expression and peaceful assembly, access to information and movement, as well as the ability of people to access essential services. It called for an inclusive political dialogue and an end to disproportionate restrictions on communications and movement.
While authorities have since begun phased restoration of internet services in parts of AJK, restrictions remain in several areas, including Rawalakot and Sudhnoti, according to reports published in September.
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