Mobile Internet services were restored in the Kargil district of Ladakh on Friday, 27 December, after remaining suspended for 145 days in the wake of the Centre abrogating provisions of Article 370 of the Constitution.
Internet services were suspended on 5 August when the Centre announced abrogation of Article 370 and bifurcation of the state into the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh.
The services were restored in view of complete normalcy returning to Kargil, with no untoward incident taking place over the past four months. Broadband services were already functional in the region.
This latest development came after the Union Home Ministry ordered "immediate" withdrawal of over 7,000 paramilitary troops from Kashmir after a security review on 24 December.
According to officials, local religious leaders have appealed to people not to misuse the facility. Three-term Chief Minister of the state Farooq Abdullah’s detention was also extended for three months on 14 December. He has been in detention since 5 August under the 'public order' provision of the PSA, which allows that a person can be kept inside jail from three to six months without a trial.
On 24 December, the first political detainee from Kashmir died in Uttar Pradesh. Ghulam Mohammed Bhat, 65, was booked under the Public Safety Act (PSA) in July 2019.
(With inputs from PTI)
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