‘Collapsed’: Roadblocks, internet blackout leave Pakistani Kashmir in limbo

Pakistan-administered Kashmir, formally known as Azad Jammu and Kashmir, has endured widespread disruption since early June following protests and government restrictions. Mobile data and broadband services across the region have been suspended since June 5, creating significant challenges for residents in both rural and urban areas.

The unrest began after authorities banned the Joint Awami Action Committee, a coalition demanding the abolition of 12 legislative assembly seats reserved for Kashmiri refugees. The ban triggered weeks of strikes, sit-ins, and clashes that resulted in dozens of deaths among both protesters and law enforcement personnel. These disturbances have continued ahead of phased legislative assembly elections scheduled to begin on July 27.

The combination of roadblocks and internet shutdowns has created acute hardships for ordinary residents. In one documented case, a man in Poonch Division required emergency transport to a hospital in Islamabad after suffering chest pain in his remote village. The journey required multiple vehicles, fuel gathered from neighbors' motorcycles, and coordination across fragmented transportation networks due to road closures. Medical facilities in smaller towns lack capacity to handle serious cases, forcing patients to travel long distances to larger hospitals.

The impact varies by location. In smaller villages with minimal commercial activity, the internet shutdown has had less direct economic effect than in larger towns and cities where business operations depend on digital connectivity. However, the roadblocks have universally complicated access to essential services, particularly healthcare and emergency response.