Internet connectivity was reinstated on July 29 in parts of the Muzaffarabad division, ending a 54-day suspension that significantly impacted residents, businesses, and journalists.

The suspension, which began on June 5 following the outlawing of the JAAC, was partially lifted, at approximately 10 pm, shortly after PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari vocalised demands for the restoration during a public reception and media talk in Muzaffarabad.

The suspension disrupted communication, digital banking, businesses, and journalists’ ability to cover political and electoral developments in Azad Jammu and Kashmir. It remains unclear whether broadband services were restored across the entire division or only in parts of the capital.

The timing of the internet’s restoration precedes the second phase of the AJK Legislative Assembly elections in the Muzaffarabad Division.