PPP presses AJK election chief to restore internet before polling

The Pakistan Peoples Party’s Azad Jammu and Kashmir chapter has urged the region’s chief election commissioner to step in over a prolonged internet shutdown that it says is affecting campaigning ahead of the polls. In a letter to retired Justice Ghulam Mustafa Mughal, PPP AJK president Chaudhry Muhammad Yasin said the suspension of internet services in parts of the region had made it harder for parties and candidates to reach voters with their messages. He argued that in a modern election, online access is not just a convenience but a key part of how campaigns share manifestos, publicise meetings and respond to criticism. According to Yasin, the disruption has also left voters with less access to timely and reliable information during a politically active period. He warned that when official and campaign communication becomes harder to access, rumours and misinformation can spread more easily, which he said could weaken the electoral environment. Yasin asked the Election Commission to coordinate with the relevant authorities and seek the immediate restoration of internet services across AJK so the polling process can proceed with greater transparency. He told Dawn that the letter was faxed to the CEC’s office and also sent by registered post. Copies were also shared with the chief secretary and the focal person to PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari. The issue has already drawn political attention beyond the regional party leadership. Yasin said Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari had criticised the shutdown and called for internet services to be restored. That suggests the matter is likely to remain on the political agenda as campaigning continues. Internet services in AJK have reportedly remained suspended since June 5 under government orders issued after a law and order situation. The feed does not specify which areas are affected most severely, whether the restrictions are uniform across the territory, or what steps the authorities are currently considering. It also does not say when the services may be restored. For voters, the practical impact is straightforward: weaker access to campaign material, fewer opportunities to verify claims in real time and less ability to follow the pace of an election that is increasingly shaped by digital communication. For parties, especially those relying on online outreach to supplement traditional door-to-door campaigning, the shutdown may limit reach and force them to depend more heavily on physical meetings and local networks. The request also places the election commission in a delicate position. While electoral bodies are expected to safeguard the fairness of polls, the actual decision on internet restoration appears to rest with the relevant authorities mentioned in the letter. That means the commission may be able to advocate for change, but not necessarily order it on its own. For now, the debate centres on whether the internet blackout is a necessary security measure or an obstacle to open campaigning and informed voting. The PPP’s intervention indicates that at least one major political player believes the balance has tilted too far against electoral access. What remains to be seen is whether the election commission responds publicly, whether the government revisits the restrictions, and whether the shutdown continues into the final stretch before polling.

Source: Dawn Pakistan - https://www.dawn.com/news/2017643/ppp-asks-ajk-cec-to-seek-internet-restoration-ahead-of-polls