In recent weeks, Azad Kashmir has seen not just unrest, but a fight for credibility. The official media issued a totally disparate report when the Azad Kashmir Action Committee raised concern over the growing financial distress of the people and the lack of administrative interest. Official spokespersons held the organisers of the movement responsible for fuelling unrest, but news channels termed the action disruptive and politically motivated. The people of Kashmir, however, were not given a say of their own. Apart from distorting the script, their voices were stifled by the region-wide, nearly week-long shutdown of the internet and cellular services.

The ideal setting for misinformation propagation was provided by this information blackout. Accusations that the protests were violent and had a foreign dimension were promoted by social media accounts recycling official spin. On-the-ground reports, relayed through offline testimonies and virtual private networking, showed a largely non-violent movement driven by native autonomy, basic amenities, and economic relief. The government version had a monopoly on social media and television since journalists could not independently cross-verify claims due to a lack of connectivity. The end product was a meticulously woven fiction, with the government seeming to impose law and order even while there was a non-existent rebellion.

More than political appearances, the blackout had wide-reaching impacts. Entrepreneurs whose........

© The Friday Times