The Government of Jammu and Kashmir has lifted its four-year-old ban on Short Messaging Services (SMS) on all pre-paid cell phone subscribers in the state.
Media reports quoted a spokesman of the state government, as saying that the ban was being removed on the instructions of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah.
The ban was imposed in June 2010, following a widespread unrest in the valley. However, six months later the government lifted the ban on all post-paid mobile phone subscribers but refrained from withdrawing it on pre-paid cell phones.
However, on the orders of the State Home Department, service providers have been asked to apply strict verification procedures before issuing prepaid or post-paid SIM cards to their subscribers.
