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

What the report says

Al Jazeera reported from Pakistan-administered Kashmir that road closures and an internet blackout have left residents facing severe disruptions for more than six weeks, particularly in Poonch Division, ahead of phased legislative assembly elections scheduled to begin on July 27. The unrest began in June after authorities banned the Joint Awami Action Committee, a coalition whose demands include ending 12 assembly seats reserved for Kashmiri refugees. Strikes, sit-ins and clashes followed, with Al Jazeera reporting dozens of deaths among protesters and law enforcement personnel.

The report describes everyday hardship caused by blocked roads, fuel shortages and limited services. In one case, a resident of Keri Kot said relatives carried his brother on a makeshift bed to reach a road after he developed chest pain, then had to gather petrol from neighbours before transferring him first to Hajira and later to Islamabad for treatment. Traders in Sudhnoti told Al Jazeera that subsidised wheat supplies had been disrupted, forcing purchases of flour at much higher market rates.

Mobile data and broadband services across Azad Jammu and Kashmir have reportedly been suspended since June 5. Residents and business owners said the outage has affected banking, payments, students, traders and communications, with even voice calls unreliable in some areas. A college principal in Pallandari said postponed medical entrance exams had left students waiting for results and admissions.

The situation matters because the shutdown and roadblocks are compounding political unrest before an election in a sensitive border region. Al Jazeera said officials maintain that some access restrictions are linked to JAAC protest activity, while residents described a broader breakdown in normal life.