Internet ban ends in J&K as government decides against extending it

NEW DELHI: The month-long ban on social networking web sites in Jammu and Kashmir ended Friday night, with the state government deciding against extending the much-criticised block.
On April 26, the Mehbooba Mufti government in J&K banned 22 social networking sites and applications, including Facebook, WhatsApp and Twitter. It said it was blocking these sites because they were allegedly being misused by anti-national and anti-social elements to foment violence.
The state has been plagued with violence for close to a year now, since the killing of terrorist Burhan Wani.Stone-throwing by protesters has created a host of problems for security forces with allegations of abuses by both sides.
The Mufti government - which is in a coalition with the BJP in the state government - said in its internet-banning order that mischievous elements were exhorting people to violence and spreading hate via social networking sites.
"It was also observed during law and order disturbances of 2016 in the Kashmir valley that anti-national and subversive elements extensively misused social media sites and instant messaging services for vitiating peace and instigating violence, which caused large scale damage to life and property," the order said.
The state government's move was criticized by many, including the United Nations which said the ban had a "disproportionate impact on the fundamental rights of everyone in Kashmir" and also had the "character of collective punishment", Reuters reported in early May.
Such restrictions "fail to meet the standards required under international human rights law to limit freedom of expression," said the U.N. special rapporteur on freedom of opinion and expression, David Kaye.