High-speed internet ban in J&K extended till Jan 22

New Delhi, Jan 09: The ban on high-speed 3G and 4G internet services has been extended in Jammu and Kashmir till January 22, barring Ganderbal and Udhampur districts.

High-speed mobile data services are "misused for infiltration and for coordinating terror activities", Home Department said in its order. "It is absolutely necessary to do so, in the interest of the sovereignty...integrity of India," it added.

"The apprehensions of the law enforcement agencies regarding misuse of high-speed mobile data services for infiltration and for coordinating terror activities gets credence from the investigation of ongoing cases and the recent incident of interception of terrorists and recoveries of arms/ammunition, with increased activity on the International Border or Line Of Control (LoC)," the Home Department said in an order.

"Now, therefore, on consideration of the overall security scenario and the reports of the law enforcement agencies inter-alia bringing out the necessity for the continuation of speed-related restrictions on mobile data services to prevent misuse of social media as also taking note of the terror activities during the last fortnight, I, Principal Secretary to the Government, Home Department, being satisfied that it is absolutely necessary so to do, in the interest of the sovereignty and integrity of India, the Security of the State and for maintaining public order, hereby order that the directions/restrictions contained in Government Order No. 143(TSTS) of 2020 dated 25.12.2020 shall continue to remain operative till 22nd January 2021, unless modified earlier," it further stated.

Mobile internet services were suspended in Jammu on August 5 last year, in view of security concerns in the wake of the abrogation of Article 370 that granted special status to the erstwhile State.