India to ease clampdown in Jammu and Kashmir in next few days, govt tells Supreme Court

India plans to lift restrictions on people’s movements and on communication links in Kashmir in the next few days, the federal government told the Supreme Court on Friday.

The court was hearing a petition by a newspaper editor seeking the restoration of telephone and internet services cut off this month, just before the government withdrew Kashmir’s special status, to prevent protests, Reuters said.

Anuradha Bhasin, executive editor of the Kashmir Times, told reporters she was unable to reach her staff because phone lines, both cellular and landlines, and the internet were all down.

The restrictions would be lifted in the “next few days,” according to the government lawyer, Tushar Mehta.