‘Postpaid mobile services in Kashmir to resume Monday’

NEW DELHI

All postpaid mobile phone services in Jammu and Kashmir would be restored from Monday, the government in the region announced on Saturday.

According to news agency Press Trust of India (PTI), Rohit Kansal, principal secretary in Jammu and Kashmir, announced that postpaid mobile phone subscribers will be able to use services from Monday.

Although postpaid mobile phone subscribers would be able to use services, but Internet services would take some more time to resume, said PTI quoting Kansal as saying.

Majority of people use prepaid services in India as it is relatively economical. Even in Jammu and Kashmir, number of people using postpaid services are much less compared to those who use prepaid services.

Jammu and Kashmir has been under a near-complete lockdown since the Indian government’s move on Aug. 5 to scrap the special status of Jammu and Kashmir.

Since then, the Indian government has blocked communication access and imposed restrictions on movement to thwart any protests in the region.

Several rights groups including the Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International have repeatedly called on India to lift restrictions and release political detainees.

Kansal said that restrictions on the movement of people had been removed from over 99% of the region, a claim Anadolu Agency could not verify independently.

On Oct. 9, the state government announced the withdrawal of a tourist advisory issued on Aug. 2, a few days before the government revoked the special status of Jammu and Kashmir and announced bifurcation of the state into two union territories.

The announcement, however, fell short of pleasing travel agents and hoteliers, who believe tourists would not like to visit the region without complete restoration of communication.