On August 13, legal, business and civil society representatives in Mirpur, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, set August 16 as the deadline for restoring internet services, warning of a complete strike from August 17 if the blackout continues.

At an emergency meeting at the Kashmir Press Club Mirpur, participants said the prolonged outage disrupted businesses, education and daily life. Businesses suffered losses of millions of rupees daily, and students risked losing the academic year. Some businesses are reportedly considering relocating, while residents have been travelling to Sarai Alamgir and Jhelum to access internet services.

They also noted that overseas Pakistanis of Kashmiri origin visiting from Britain and other countries are spending less time in Mirpur, further affecting local businesses. Participants urged the federal and AJK governments to resolve the issue through dialogue and restore connectivity.

The District Bar Association would lead the proposed strike if internet services were not restored, which would continue until internet services are fully restored.

The meeting included District Bar Association President Babar Ali Khan Advocate, Chamber of Commerce President Umar Shehzad Jeraal, Anjuman-e-Tajiran President Chaudhry Muhammad Naeem, Private Schools and Colleges Association President Mirza Wajahat Baig, former traders’ association president Asif Dar, Secretary General Anjuman-e-Tajiran Raja Khalid Mahmood, Jibran Manzoor, Chemists and Druggists Association Vice President Muhammad Bashir Shago, District Bar Secretary General Zahid Chaudhry, former Kashmir Press Club presidents and senior local journalists.