Mobile internet services were restored in Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday after a week-long ban, reports the Press Trust of India. Services were shut after militant Sabzar Bhat was killed in an encounter. Police said that the ban was necessitated to curb the spread of rumours on services such as WhatsApp and other messaging platforms, as indicated by this NDTV report. Stone pelters were reportedly sending voice notes on WhatsApp to spread the message after the encounter. Mobile Internet was cut in Jammu and Kashmir for more than six months after security forces killed Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani. Kashmir has had the highest number of Internet shutdowns – as many as 31 shutdowns in 2016, and three so far in 2017. Note that Internet services were cut twice in April. Internet services were cut on April 18 following student protests across universities and colleges. The incident was sparked as some students in Pulwama Degree College were beaten by government forces. on April 8, both broadband and mobile Internet services were suspended on the eve of the by-polls to the Srinagar parliamentary seat. Criticism from the UN In May, two UN Special Rapporteurs had been fairly critical of the Indian governments decision to shut down specific social media apps, and asked for connectivity to be restored. The statement had said that: “The scope of these restrictions has a significantly disproportionate impact on the fundamental rights of everyone in Kashmir, undermining the Government’s stated aim of preventing dissemination of information that could lead to violence” “The internet and telecommunications bans have the…
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