Landline phones back in occupied Kashmir but calls still not going through

Published September 6, 2019
An Indian paramilitary trooper stands guard during a lockdown in Srinagar in occupied Kashmir on September 6. — AFP
An Indian paramilitary trooper stands guard during a lockdown in Srinagar in occupied Kashmir on September 6. — AFP

The government in occupied Kashmir said landline telephone service had been restored a month into a near-total communications blackout and security lockdown was imposed as India's Hindu nationalist-led government stripped Kashmiris of the constitutional rights they had for seven decades through a rushed presidential order on August 5.

On Thursday, people lined up at offices or homes that have landline telephones to try to contact family and friends after the long wait, but many were unable to get through after repeated attempts.

"Our landlines have been restored but we are still unable to talk to people. It is frustrating. I have been trying to call people since morning, but I am not getting through," said Syed Musahid in Srinagar.

Many Kashmiris living outside the region also said they were having trouble getting in touch with their families inside occupied Kashmir.

"I kept trying a hundred times to reach my family in Kashmir, and only then did my call go through," said Bint-e-Ali, a Kashmiri in Bengaluru.

She said she still hasn't been able to talk to her ailing grandmother in Srinagar.

"I hope I live to tell this horrendous tale to our next generation about how India didn't even let us talk to our family and friends," she said.

The government said it suspended communications on August 5 to prevent rumours from spreading after Article 370 was revoked. The suspension has almost completely isolated Kashmir's residents.

Srinagar resident Firdous Ahmad said the restoration of landline service "definitely brings a sigh of relief" but he also he hoped cellphone and internet data services, which are more widely used, would be restored soon.

The Press Trust of India reported restrictions had been lifted on daytime movements in the disputed region. However, checkpoints remain in place.

Protests over India's moves have occurred sporadically in occupied Kashmir and were quelled by security forces who fired pellets and tear gas.

Opinion

The Dar story continues

The Dar story continues

One wonders what the rationale was for the foreign minister — a highly demanding, full-time job — being assigned various other political responsibilities.

Editorial

Wheat protests
Updated 01 May, 2024

Wheat protests

The government should withdraw from the wheat trade gradually, replacing the existing market support mechanism with an effective new one over the next several years.
Polio drive
01 May, 2024

Polio drive

THE year’s fourth polio drive has kicked off across Pakistan, with the aim to immunise more than 24m children ...
Workers’ struggle
01 May, 2024

Workers’ struggle

FACED with high inflation and bleak economic prospects nationally, the workers of Pakistan have little to celebrate...
All this talk
Updated 30 Apr, 2024

All this talk

The other parties are equally legitimate stakeholders in the country’s political future, and it must give them due consideration.
Monetary policy
30 Apr, 2024

Monetary policy

ALIGNING its decision with the trend in developed economies, the State Bank has acted wisely by holding its key...
Meaningless appointment
30 Apr, 2024

Meaningless appointment

THE PML-N’s policy of ‘family first’ has once again triggered criticism. The party’s latest move in this...