Mobiles not restored due to Pakistan: J&K government

SRINAGAR: The Jammu and Kashmir government on Thursday said that mobile phone services in Kashmir Valley will be restored after taken into account various factors including provocation by Pakistan.

“We’re conscious. We’re sensitive. Like other restrictions which have been eased out as quickly as possible, rest assured this too shall pass and quickly,” official spokesman Rohit Kansal said here when asked if the government has any plans to lift the communication blockade completely in the Valley.

He, however, also said, “There continues to be tremendous provocation from across the border. Any decision on restoring mobile services will have to be factor it in.”

The authorities had ahead of stripping J&K of its special status and splitting the state into two Union Territories on August 5, snapped all communications including landline and mobile phone and internet services in Kashmir Valley and most parts of the Jammu region.

Though landline phone services were recently restored in the Valley whereas mobile and landline phones and broadband internet services are available in most parts of Jammu region, mobile and internet services continued to remain shut in the Valley.

Mr Kansal said that while landlines have been restored across the Valley, “considerable number” of mobile phones has been made functional in Kupwara and Handwara areas of Kupwara district. Asked about the inconvenience faced by students in applying for competitive examinations in absence of availability of internet services, he said that the administration is alive to the situation.

“That’s why we have set up internet kiosks at all the twelve district headquarters of the Valley for facilitating the public. We will continue to facilitate them as and when needed,” he said.

He claimed that the situation in the Valley is returning fast to normalcy. “The vehicular traffic has increased manifold as you can see. The situation is fast returning towards normalcy,” he said.