Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik’s administration Wednesday night restored calling facility on mobile phones across Jammu region, barring Poonch district and the Banihal sub-division. Pointing out that this was done as mark of normalcy across the region, sources said that mobile phone calling on network of all cellular operators was back in Rajouri, Kishtwar, Doda and most parts of Ramban district. However, mobile internet facility continues to remain suspended across the Jammu region. Divisional Commissioner, Jammu, Sanjeev Verma, said that mobile internet facility will also get restored soon. Cellular services in the region were totally suspended in five of the ten districts of Jammu region on August 5 in the wake of Centre’s move to scrap Article 370 and bifurcate Jammu and Kashmir state into two Union Territories. These districts included Poonch, Rajouri, Kishtwar, Doda and Ramban. In the remaining five districts of Jammu—Samba, Kathua, Reasi and Udhampur— mobile calling facility continued to remain available to the people even as mobile internet services were suspended. Curfew was also imposed in four major towns of Pir Panjal and Chenab Valley region, while prohibitory orders under section 144 of CrPC imposed at other places in the region as a precautionary measure. All these restrictions were gradually lifted.
