Communication blockade, curfew enter 118th day in IOK

SRINAGAR (92 News) –The worst curfew, communication blockade and inhuman lockdown entered in 118th consecutive day in Indian Occupied Kashmir (IOK) imposed by India. According to KMS, amid heavy deployment of Indian troops, restrictions under section 144 remain enforced, causing immense hardships to the residents. Although landline phones and voice calls on postpaid connections were partially restored, but the people continue to suffer due to continued suspension of prepaid mobile and text messaging services. The continued gag on internet has wreaked havoc on the businesses and economy besides hampering education of students. Journalists too are finding it difficult to file stories. They have to travel long distance to the so-called Media Facilitation Centre in Srinagar where they have to wait for hours at a time to access the facility. The suspension of this modern tool of communication during lockdown has effectively cut people off not only from their immediate surroundings but also from the world. People in the Kashmir Valley continue to observe civil disobedience to protest New Delhi’s anti-Kashmir moves. As part of this movement, they shun schools and offices. Public transport also remains largely off the roads. Shops do open but only for few hours in the morning and evening to cater to the daily needs of the masses. On the other hand, the President of Malaysian Consultative Council of Islamic Organization (MAPIM), Azmi Abdul Hamid, in a statement in Kuala Lumpur condemned the remarks made by India’s Consul General in New York, Sandeep Chakravorty, in which he stated that the Indian government would adopt an Israeli model to settle Hindus in occupied Kashmir. Azmi said that the diplomat’s offensive and extremist view would not help efforts to resolve the Kashmir dispute but rather would exacerbate the tensions further. He urged the international community to take cognizance of the grave situation in occupied Kashmir and the provocative remarks of the Indian official that have serious consequences on the regional stability.