US media watchdog urges India to restore internet in occupied Kashmir

WASHINGTON: A US-based media watchdog has urged India to ensure access to internet and communications services in occupied Kashmir, which were suspended in the valley three days ago, Kashmir Media Service reported.

The Committee to Protect Journalists in a statement expressed alarm over communication blackout in Jammu and Kashmir.

“A large-scale communication disruption at such a crucial time for Kashmir is an egregious violation of citizens’ rights to information from a free press,” said Aliya Iftikhar, senior researcher for CPJ’s Asia program.

The telecommunication blackout is related to the imposition of Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure on Monday across Srinagar, which prohibits an assembly of more than four people in an area.

“We call on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his administration to guarantee that all communication blocks in Kashmir are lifted and that journalists are able to report freely. Communication blocks have no place in a democracy,” Iftikhar said.

The curfew imposed by the Indian authorities in the occupied Kashmir has entered the third day, on Wednesday (today), converting the entire territory into a big jail through the huge deployment of forces.

According to the Kashmir Media Service (KMS), all educational institutions are closed while the entire population has been virtually held incommunicado as it has no contact with the external world through the internet or telephone.