19/04/2025
Communication Blackout in Gitch, Singul, Japukay , Dasjapuky and Goher Abad Gilgit-Baltistan – A Call for Immediate Action
To,
Honorable Speaker of Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly ahmed advocate
Honorable Member of Provincial Assembly khan Naji
Deputy Commissioner and Assistant Commissioner Ghizer
Telecommunication Companies: Zong & Telenor
Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA)
We, the youth and residents of Gitch, Singul, Japukay , Dasjapuky and Goher Abad, write to you with deep frustration and growing concern.
For over a year, our village — which was once connected to the rest of the world through the Zong and Telenor mobile tower near our area — has been plunged into a digital blackout. What began as a basic 2G signal has now turned into complete disconnection: no call service, no SMS, no internet — sometimes for days or even weeks.
Despite having telecom towers physically present in our vicinity, the services are suspended without notice. When we approach the local tower staff, they repeatedly give excuses:
“Company is not providing oil for the generator.”
“Technical issues will take weeks.”
“We are not physically present at the tower site.”
“Automation has failed, and there’s no one to restart the system.”
This is unacceptable. In a time when online education, e-commerce, job opportunities, digital health services, and even basic communication depend on mobile signals, this breakdown is more than an inconvenience — it is an attack on our right to connect, learn, and live with dignity.
We buy SIM cards. We pay for internet and call packages. We do our part. But the companies are failing to fulfill theirs.
What are our elected representatives doing?
We voted for you in good faith. If you cannot even ensure the continuity of a 2G signal for your own people, then what exactly is your role in the Assembly?
We demand:
Immediate restoration of continuous 2G and 4G signal in our village and surrounding areas.
An independent inspection of the Zong/Telenor tower and its power supply systems.
Public statement from our elected MPAs with a timeline of when this issue will be resolved.
Regular monitoring by the DC/AC office to ensure telecom services are no longer disrupted.
If these basic demands are not addressed within 2 weeks, we, the youth of this villages, will have no option but to:
Organize peaceful protests and roadblocks
Contact national media and human rights organizations
Block the electricity powerhouse located in our village which powers the entire district
Demand resignations from elected officials who have failed to perform their duty
We are not asking for luxury. We are demanding a basic human right.
Either fix the signals — or step aside and let those who care take charge.
Sincerely,
Villages of Gitch, Singul, Japukay , Dasjapuky and Goher Abad.
