Islamabad, September 22, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Residents in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) continue to raise concerns over restrictions on internet connectivity and other measures imposed amid months of political unrest, with the disruption affecting banking, business, education and access to information.
Mobile data and broadband services were suspended on June 5 following protests led by the Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JKJAAC). The restrictions continued even after phased elections were completed, disrupting online banking, commercial activity and academic schedules.
However, the internet situation has since seen partial changes. Broadband and DSL services were restored across Azad Jammu and Kashmir on September 13 after a prolonged suspension, while 3G and 4G mobile internet services remained restricted in parts of the region.
The protests initially centred on economic and political grievances, including electricity and essential commodity prices, as well as demands concerning electoral representation and governance. The unrest later escalated into clashes between protesters and security forces.
The electoral process was conducted in phases amid security concerns, with voting disrupted in some protest strongholds. A government was subsequently formed based on results from the constituencies where polling took place.
The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP), in its fact-finding report Civic Spaces under Strain in Azad Jammu and Kashmir, attributed the unrest to longstanding political and socioeconomic grievances, institutional distrust and governance deficits. It also said that what it described as an increasingly confrontational state response, including disproportionate use of force, deepened polarisation and eroded public trust.
The HRCP said there was broad recognition among political and community stakeholders that the underlying grievances required a political response, although accounts differed over the nature of the JAAC, the scale and causes of violence and the conduct of security forces.
The rights body also highlighted concerns over the impact of prolonged communications restrictions, movement restrictions, arrests of activists and journalists, and the use of anti-terrorism and other detention provisions on civic space.
On allegations of excessive or lethal force against protesters, the HRCP said authorities had provided figures concerning security personnel casualties, while its fact-finding mission did not receive independently verifiable information on the full scale and circumstances of civilian deaths and injuries. It said it received multiple accounts alleging that protesters had been killed or seriously injured by security forces but could not independently verify the allegations, particularly in Rawalakot, where access was restricted.
The HRCP further said restrictions on journalism and access to affected areas, along with the communications shutdown, had made independent reporting more difficult.
The continuing restrictions and unrest have kept attention focused on demands for greater political accountability, restoration of civic freedoms and dialogue over the grievances raised by residents.
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