After months of ban, J&K administration restores broadband services in Kashmir

Broadband services have been fully restored in the Kashmir valley, after remaining suspended for almost six months since the abrogation of Article 370 on August 5, news agency ANI reported on Thursday. Earlier this facility had only been restored for Government offices and other essential services in the valley.

The J&K authorities on Wednesday allowed access to all web sites on 2G mobile data services and fixed-line internet in the Union Territory till March 17 and also removed the ban on social media platforms.

Iltija Mufti, daughter of PDP president Mehbooba Mufti, also took to her mother's Twitter account to comment on the development. 

"Seems like J&K admin finally realised futility of ban on SM since Kashmiris circumvented it through VPNs. Simply became a cat & mouse chase where Kashmiris outwitted state apparatus i.e.Big Brother," she tweeted.

Mehbooba Mufti, a former chief minister of the erstwhile state, has been under detention since August when the Centre abrogated the special status to the erstwhile state and bifurcated it into two union territories on August 5 last year.

Several other politicians, including the father-son duo of Farooq and Umar Abdullah, have also been in custody under various laws. 

Earlier, the government had restored the internet in the Union Territory but only access to white-listed sites was allowed.

The internet users, however, resorted to utilising VPNs to access the blocked sites. 

Earlier,  as the service was restored for a week on January 25 and subsequently extended from time to time, after being snapped.