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MUZAFFARABAD:

Pakistan Peoples Party Azad Jammu and Kashmir (PPP AJK) President Chaudhry Muhammad Yaseen has urged the Azad Jammu and Kashmir Chief Election Commissioner Justice (retd) Gulam Mustafa Mughal to ensure immediate restoration of internet services across the region, warning that the ongoing disruption is adversely affecting the election campaign and could undermine the transparency of the electoral process.

In a letter addressed to the Chief Election Commissioner, Yaseen said the suspension of internet services was creating serious obstacles for political parties, candidates and voters during the ongoing election campaign.

He maintained that uninterrupted internet access was essential to ensure voters received timely and accurate information about the electoral process and campaign activities.

The PPP President cautioned that prolonged internet outages could compromise the fairness and transparency of the elections while also increasing the spread of fake news, misinformation and rumours.

Yaseen stressed that safeguarding voters' right to information was the Election Commission's responsibility and called for immediate measures to restore internet connectivity so that electioneering could continue without disruption.

He urged the Election Commission to take up the matter with the relevant authorities on an urgent basis, saying the availability of internet services was indispensable for holding free, fair and transparent elections in AJK.