Kashmir blockade enters 148th consecutive day today

Occupied Kashmir witnesses 147 days of military blockade here on Monday (today).

People continue to suffer immensely due to unrelenting military siege and blockade.

Its been 147 days, restrictions under Section 144 remain in place while prepaid mobile phone, text messaging and internet services continue to be snapped.

According to Kashmir media, Startups have become one of the worst casualties of the Internet blockade in IoK.

The ban on Internet has dealt a severe blow to the small ventures employing hundreds of people.

The Internet ban has also impacted the courier services as online tracking of the courier has come to a halt.

The courier service providers face the problem of contacting their customers due to blockage in Kashmir by the Indian government.

Shops continue to remain shut most of the time except for few hours in the day and hardly any public transport seen on the roads.

Schools and offices are open but few turn up there.

However, some private transport is plying and roadside vendors are doing their businesses to make their both ends meet.

The smartphone business has also crippled due to the Internet suspension.

The increasing chill after fresh rains and snowfall added to the miseries of the people.

According to the mobile dealers, the sales have come down by 90 per cent.

The Vice Chairman of Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Movement, Abdul Majeed Malik, condemned the continued military siege in Occupied Kashmir.

India abrogated special status of occupied Kashmir and divided it into two union territories on August 5.

Since then, the occupied Kashmir is under military lock-down.

“The bill (HR 1865) urges the Indian Government to reverse course in Kashmir,” Senator Chris Van Hollen said on the Senate floor as the Senators passed the appropriations bill for the year 2020.

The bill mostly focused on domestic policy but it also has some foreign policy elements including India.