Internet suspension: PM says services will be restored in two days
The service will return in phases, with educational institutions expected to get access first.
Roads and routes to reopen
Speaking during his first visit to the Central Press Club, Gilani also said AJK’s internal and external routes would be restored within 2 days. The announcement comes as the newly elected government works to restore normal activities across the region.
The prime minister said the internet service would not return everywhere at the same time. Instead, authorities will follow a phased plan based on the situation and requirements.
Educational institutions first
Gilani said internet access would initially be restored for educational institutions during the next 2 days. This step is expected to help students and teachers resume online academic activities.
The government has not provided further details about when internet service will be fully restored for all residents. More information is expected as the phased restoration process moves forward.
Gilani’s recent election
Gilani, a Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) lawmaker, was elected AJK’s 17th prime minister two days earlier. He secured 30 votes in the AJK Legislative Assembly to win the position.
His announcement on internet access comes shortly after taking office. The restoration of connectivity is likely to be closely watched by residents, businesses and students.
The planned restoration could provide relief to people affected by the internet restrictions. Giving educational institutions early access may help reduce disruption to studies.
The next key point will be the timeline for restoring internet service to the wider public. Full restoration would help businesses, communication and everyday activities return to normal.
Earlier, Al Jazeera English's website became inaccessible to users across Pakistan on Sunday, hours after the government accused the broadcaster of selective and misleading coverage of elections in Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
Ministry accuses Al Jazeera of 'Yellow Journalism'
Pakistan's Ministry of Information and Broadcasting said in a statement that Al Jazeera had reported from only a handful of selected polling stations in Muzaffarabad, using specific timings and prepared statements from certain individuals to present a one-sided account of the AJK election. The ministry described the coverage as poor-quality journalism and suggested it was part of an effort by outside forces to cast doubt on the fairness of the vote and the choices made by Kashmiri voters.
The ministry did not cite specific factual errors in Al Jazeera's reporting, and the network had not issued a public response to the criticism at the time of publication.
Site inaccessible, no formal confirmation
Users across Pakistan began reporting that Al Jazeera's website would not load on Sunday, with many sharing screenshots showing "connection reset" and similar error messages. Several local and regional news websites were reported to be affected in a similar way around the same time.
As of Sunday, Pakistani authorities had not issued any formal statement confirming that Al Jazeera's website had been deliberately blocked. However, the timing, arriving shortly after the ministry's public criticism, has led many observers to link the outage directly to the network's recent coverage of unrest and the electoral process in Pakistan-administered Kashmir.
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