SRINAGAR – Indian authorities in occupied Kashmir directed internet service providers to block popular social media services including Facebook, Twitter and WhatsApp after clashes deteriorated in the occupied valley.
In a statement, the local government said the services were “being misused by anti-national and anti-social elements” and should be blocked for one month or until further notice “in the interest of maintenance of public order.”
Separately, a group of Kashmiri cricketers was detained on Wednesday after a viral video clip showed them donning Pakistan cricket jerseys as they played a local match in central Kashmir’s Ganderbal district.
The players, who belong to the Baba Darya Ud Din team – named after the popular saint whose shrine is situated in Ganderbal—also started the match by singing the Pakistan national anthem.
An announcement on the public address system said that the Pakistan national anthem was going to be played as a “mark of respect”, Indian media reported.
Residents came out in support of the player’s detention near the police station and demanded their immediate release.
