Farooq Abdullah Raises Issue Of Threats To Kashmiri Pandits, Seeks Probe

Jammu and Kashmir National Conference president Farooq Abdullah has questioned the recent terror threats against Kashmiri Pandit employees in the Valley and demanded an inquiry by the Union Home Ministry.

The threats have prompted the government to send hundreds of Kashmiri Pandit and other minority employees on administrative leave amid heightened security concerns.

Abdullah said people from different faiths live and work in Kashmir and questioned why Kashmiri Pandits had been specifically targeted.

“Why have Kashmiri Pandits been singled out and threatened when so many people live here in Kashmir? The Home Ministry must look into it. Who are these people using social media to issue threats? I think something is fishy and the MHA (Ministry of Home Affairs) should look into this,” Abdullah said.

"Targeted killing of minorities has taken place… many employees were planning to flee so much so that they were almost locked in their camps… so this threat should not be taken lightly. There should be action against those who are behind such threats and ensure the security of these people,” J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said.

Hundreds of Kashmiri Pandit employees have been sent on administrative leave until August 25 following the circulation of a threat letter allegedly issued by a group linked to the Pakistan-based terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).

The letter allegedly named some employees and listed their contact details.

Official sources said employees appointed under the Prime Minister's Special Employment Package have been advised to shift to safer locations. Those named in the alleged threat letter have been safely shifted to Jammu, sources said.

“After the threats, police have advised us not to attend work, and those who are still living in the Valley have been asked not to come out of their homes,” said Amit Koul, a Kashmiri Pandit employee.

Police said they were investigating the threats and taking necessary security measures to ensure the safety of the employees.

“It's a precautionary measure. We are investigating these threats and taking necessary steps to ensure everyone's safety,” a senior police officer said.

Around 6,000 Kashmiri Pandits have been given government jobs under the Prime Minister's Special Employment Package, which was rolled out in 2010 to facilitate the return and rehabilitation of Kashmiri Pandits displaced from the Valley following the outbreak of the secessionist movement in 1990.

In 2022, terrorists carried out a series of targeted attacks on Kashmiri Pandit employees, killing five of them. The attacks triggered months of protests by PM package employees, who demanded that they be transferred to Jammu.

While the government did not agree to post the employees in Jammu, they were subsequently shifted to safer locations in Srinagar and other major towns in the Valley.

The latest threats come amid renewed security concerns in parts of Kashmir.

On July 22, a policeman was killed after terrorists allegedly fired at him at point-blank range in Anantnag town. In a separate incident, two migrant workers were killed in Kulgam.

Security concerns have also affected the annual Amarnath Yatra. The pilgrimage, which began on July 3 and was scheduled to conclude on August 28, was suspended from the traditional Anantnag-Pahalgam route on July 23.

The Yatra was subsequently curtailed and suspended from August 9, weeks before its scheduled conclusion. Officials cited low pilgrim footfall, weather advisories and track repair work among the reasons for the suspension.