Farooq Abdullah Raises Concerns Over Threats To Kashmiri Pandits, Seeks Investigation

Jammu and Kashmir National Conference president Farooq Abdullah has raised concerns over recent threats issued against Kashmiri Pandit employees in the Valley and urged the Union Home Ministry to investigate their source. The threats have prompted authorities to place hundreds of Kashmiri Pandit and other minority employees on administrative leave as security agencies assess the situation. Abdullah questioned why Kashmiri Pandits had been specifically targeted when people from different communities continue to live and work in Kashmir.

Abdullah urged the Ministry of Home Affairs to determine who was behind the threats circulating on social media. He questioned the authenticity and motive of the messages and called for action if they were found to be genuine threats. Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah also stressed that the warnings should not be taken lightly, citing the history of targeted attacks against minorities and urging authorities to ensure the safety of affected employees.

Hundreds of Kashmiri Pandit employees have reportedly been placed on administrative leave until August 25 after a threat letter allegedly linked to a group associated with Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba circulated. The letter reportedly named some employees and included their contact details. Officials said employees recruited under the Prime Minister's Special Employment Package had been advised to move to safer locations, while those specifically named in the alleged letter were shifted to Jammu.

Also Read: ED Conducts Raids In 2022 Coimbatore Car Bomb Blast Investigation

Police have launched an investigation into the threats and said security measures were being taken as a precaution. Employees still residing in the Valley were reportedly advised not to attend work or leave their homes until further instructions. The government has also been assessing the security situation around the affected employees as authorities seek to establish the credibility and source of the alleged threat.

The Prime Minister's Special Employment Package was introduced in 2010 to facilitate the return and rehabilitation of Kashmiri Pandits displaced from the Valley following the outbreak of the secessionist movement in 1990. Around 6,000 Kashmiri Pandits have received government jobs under the scheme. In 2022, a series of targeted attacks killed five Kashmiri Pandit employees and triggered protests by PM package workers demanding relocation to Jammu, although the government instead shifted many employees to safer locations in Srinagar and other towns.

The latest threats come amid renewed security concerns in parts of Jammu and Kashmir. A policeman was killed in Anantnag on July 22 after terrorists allegedly fired at him at close range, while two migrant workers were killed separately in Kulgam. Security concerns have also affected the annual Amarnath Yatra, which was suspended on the traditional Anantnag-Pahalgam route on July 23 and later curtailed before being suspended from August 9, with officials citing factors including low pilgrim numbers, weather advisories and track repair work.

Also Read: Government Tells Rajya Sabha AI-171 Crash Investigation Faces No Delay