Mobile phone services restored in Kashmir, Guv says only terrorists use it

As the postpaid mobile services in Kashmir Valley resumed on Monday (October 14) after 72 days, J&K Governor Satya Pal said phone lines were used only by terrorists.

According to ANI, speaking at a public event, Malik said, “Telephone was not important to us, but the lives of residents are more important. People were living without telephone earlier also, you must understand, telephone is being used for terrorist mobilisation.”

Postpaid mobile services on all networks were restored in the Kashmir Valley on Monday (October 14), 72 days after they were snapped following restrictions.

Some 40 lakh postpaid mobile phones have become operational from Monday noon.

Mobile internet and broadband still continue to be blacked out in the Valley.

Restrictions were imposed after the Centre on August 5 abrogated the state’s special status and bifurcated it into Union territories of Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh, which will come into being on October 31.

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Partial fixed-line telephony was resumed in the Valley on August 17 and by September 4, nearly 50,000 landlines were declared operational.

In Jammu, the communication was restored within days of the blockade and mobile internet was started around mid-August. However, after its misuse, internet facility on cell phones was snapped on August 18.

(With input from agencies.)