Cell phone and internet services were partially restored across the Muslim-majority Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir ahead of the Islamic holiday of Eid al-Adha on Sunday, local media reported
NEW DELHI (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 09th August, 2019) Cell phone and internet services were partially restored across the Muslim-majority Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir ahead of the Islamic holiday of Eid al-Adha on Sunday, local media reported.
Earlier this week, the Indian government announced its decision to strip Jammu and Kashmir of its special status, which granted the state a certain degree of autonomy for several decades, and split it into two union territories. Both will be controlled by the central government, but only Ladakh will not be allowed its own legislature. This move prompted clashes on the Indian-Pakistani line of control and forced Islamabad to downgrade its diplomatic relations and suspend trade with its neighbor.
The Indian government decided to allow Kashmir residents to gather for Friday prayers, despite the continuing unstable situation in the region, the NDTV broadcaster reported. However, the main mosque of the state � Jamia Masjid in Srinagar � will remain closed for prayers this day.
About 20,000 policemen and military personnel are deployed throughout the region to keep order and prevent provocations that could turn into another round of violence. Over the past few days, law enforces have detained more than 500 people in order to ensure public security.
The disputed Kashmir region, the southern part of which is where India's Jammu and Kashmir lies, has been the source of tensions between the two nations since the end of British rule in the region in 1947. After several armed conflicts, both sides agreed to a ceasefire in 2003. Since then, however, accusations of truce violations have been exchanged, with continued instability in the region leading to the emergence of various extremist groups.
