NEW DELHI: India’s Supreme Court said on Friday that an indefinite shutdown of the Internet in Kashmir was illegal, rebuking the government for the communications lockdown imposed after it withdrew the Muslim majority region’s autonomy in August.
Indefinite suspension of the Internet violated India’s telecoms rules, the court said, ordering authorities to review all curbs in Kashmir in a week.
“Freedom of Internet access is a fundamental right,” Supreme Court Justice N. V. Ramana said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu-nationalist government has frequently used Internet shutdowns as a tool to quell dissent in troubled parts of the country.
Last month, authorities imposed an Internet clampdown in parts of the capital and in areas of the eastern state of Assam and Uttar Pradesh in the north as protests raged against a new citizenship law that Muslims see as discriminatory.
The shutdown in Kashmir, which has been on for more than 150 days, is the longest such outage in any democracy, according to digital rights group Access Now.
The government has argued that the blackout in Kashmir, a Himalayan region claimed by neighboring Pakistan and plagued by separatist militants, was essential to maintain calm.
The Supreme Court’s decision, which also asks authorities to make public all orders on Internet shutdowns, should enable more scrutiny of suspensions, Internet freedom activists said.
“This sheds light on the rationale behind Internet shutdowns which then can be challenged as being constitutional or proportionate or not,” said Nikhil Pahwa, digital rights activist and editor of MediaNama, a Delhi-based publication.
“So if the state is forced to be transparent, they will be more accountable.”
In 2019, India’s documented Internet blackouts lasted for more than 4,000 hours, costing Asia’s third-biggest economy $1.3 billion, according to a report by website Top10VPN.
An uneasy calm prevails in Kashmir. The Internet was restored in hospitals last week and some mobile phone connections are working.
The blackout has severely disrupted the lives of millions and had an impact on everything from college admissions to businesses filing tax returns.
“The court also said the freedom of the press is impacted by the shutdown,” said Vrinda Grover, an advocate representing petitioners, who include journalists and civil society members.
“It is an abuse of power.”
India’s top court says indefinite Kashmir Internet shutdown is illegal
https://arab.news/8s4sx
India’s top court says indefinite Kashmir Internet shutdown is illegal
- Freedom of Internet access is a fundamental right, judge said
- In 2019, India’s documented Internet blackouts lasted for more than 4,000 hours
Pakistan Air Force conducts ‘Exercise Golden Eagle’ to test combat readiness, agility
- The exercise follows an intense, four-day Pakistan-India military conflict in May 2025
- It focused on AI-enabled operations integrating disruptive technologies, military says
ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Air Force (PAF) has conducted “Exercise Golden Eagle” that successfully validated its combat readiness and operational agility through synchronized employment of the PAF’s complete combat potential, the Pakistani military said on Tuesday.
It comes months after Pakistan’s four-day military conflict with India in May, with Islamabad claiming victory in the standoff after the PAF claimed to have shot down at least six Indian fighter aircraft, including the French-made Rafale. New Delhi acknowledged some losses but did not specify a number.
The exercise was conducted on a Two-Force construct, focusing on AI-enabled, net-centric operations while integrating indigenous niche, disruptive and smart technologies in line with evolving regional security dynamics, according to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the Pakistani military’s media wing.
Operating within a robust Integrated Air Defense System, friendly forces shaped the battlespace through seamless fusion of kinetic operations with cyber, space and electro-magnetic spectrum operations.
“The kinetic phase featured First-Shoot, First-Kill swing-role combat aircraft equipped with long-range BVR air-to-air missiles, extended-range stand-off weapons and precision strike capabilities, supported by Airborne Early Warning & Control platforms and Air-to-Air Refuelers,” the ISPR said in a statement.
“A key highlight of the exercise was Manned–Unmanned Teaming, with deep-reach killer drones and loitering munitions operating in a highly contested, congested and degraded environment, validating PAF’s capability to conduct high-tempo operations in modern warfare.”
In recent months, many countries have stepped up defense engagement with Pakistan, while delegations from multiple nations have proposed learning from the PAF’s multi-domain air warfare capabilities that officials say were successfully employed during the May conflict.
“The successful conduct of Exercise Golden Eagle reaffirms Pakistan Air Force’s unwavering commitment to maintaining a high state of operational preparedness, leveraging indigenous innovation and effectively countering emerging and future security challenges,” the ISPR added.
