A youth looks on as another one speaks on a mobile phone in Srinagar on October 14, 2019, following Indian government's decision to restore mobile phones network in Indian-administered Kashmir AFPLandlines were restored previously, although residents say connections are erraticMobile phone networks were restored in Indian Kashmir on Monday after a 72-day blackout, authorities said, but the internet remains off-limits to the region's seven million-plus people. India cut access to mobile networks in the restive Kashmir Valley in early August citing security concerns as it scrapped the region's semi-autonomous status and imposed a lockdown. The easing on Monday covers around four million post-paid mobile phone contracts, but only for calls and text messages. "Mobile phones are a commercial service that we pay for, not a favour," he said. Having mobile phones "is something completely normal in most countries.

Source: Dhaka Tribune October 14, 2019 08:48 UTC