In a bid to avoid the misuse of social media, the Jammu and Kashmir government on Wednesday  suspended 22 sites, including Facebook, Twitter and WhatsApp, in the Valley.

According to an order issued by J&K Principal Secretary (Home) R K Goya, the suspension will be in place for a month or till further orders, whichever is earlier.

“It is hereby directed to all Internet Service Providers (ISPs), that any message or class of messages to or from any person or class of persons relating to any subject or any pictorial content through the social networking sites Facebook, Twitter, Whatsapp, QQ, We Chat, Qzone, Tumblr, Google+, Baidu, Skype, Viber, Line, Snapchat, Pinterest, Telegram, Reddit, Snapfish, You Tube (upload), Vine, Xanga, Buzznet and Flickr shall not be transmitted in the Kashmir Valley, with immediate effect, for a period of one month or till further orders,” the order reads.

The government, while invoking powers conferred on it under the Indian Telegraph Act and Information Technology Act, has warned that any violation of the order shall be dealt with in accordance with the relevant provisions of law.

The order states that as per available inputs, over a period of time, a progressively increasing trend has been witnessed with regard to the misuse of social media sites by elements inimical to public order and tranquility, thereby impinging on public safety, particularly in the Kashmir Valley.

Reacting to the latest order, National Conference president and MP Farooq Abdullah said that the communication blockade will play havoc with the state’s economy and the students’ future.