Fresh threat letter targets Kashmiri Pandit employees; forum seeks protection
A fresh threat letter allegedly circulated on social media has targeted Kashmiri Pandit employees working in the Kashmir Valley, prompting the All PM Package Employees Forum Kashmir to demand enhanced security from the Jammu and Kashmir administration.
In a letter to the chief secretary of Jammu and Kashmir on Monday, the forum said the purported threat poster, allegedly issued by an outfit calling itself the United Liberation Council (ULC) and dated August 23, contains the names, addresses and vehicle numbers of some employees.
The forum said the authenticity of the poster has not yet been verified by police or security agencies but warned that its repeated circulation was a matter of “grave concern”. The letter stated, “The authenticity of the poster is yet to be verified by the Police and security agencies. However, the repeated circulation of such threat letters and posters, particularly those containing sensitive personal information, is a matter of grave concern.”
One Kashmiri Pandit employee said the threats would not force them to leave the Valley. “We will neither be scared nor run away this time. Kashmir is ours also. It is our birthplace,” the employee told ANI. The employee added that a similar threat letter had surfaced earlier this month and urged authorities to investigate the source of the latest threats and how the alleged perpetrators obtained sensitive personal information.
The forum, citing previous targeted attacks on Kashmiri Pandit employees, sought immediate security cover, a review of arrangements at workplaces and residences, and protection for employees whose personal details may have appeared in the alleged poster.
The development comes against the backdrop of the Prime Minister’s special package for Kashmiri Pandits, announced in 2008, which offers employment opportunities and other incentives to encourage members of the community to return to the Valley. Many Kashmiri Pandits had left the region during the late 1980s and early 1990s amid an armed conflict. Over the years, several have availed of the package, taking up government jobs in the Valley.
Security concerns have persisted for these employees, and this latest threat has revived anxieties within the community. The forum’s demand for enhanced security underscores the fragile situation faced by those who have chosen to return and serve in their birthplace.
Authorities have not yet issued a public statement on the matter. The forum has called for a thorough investigation into the source of the threats and for steps to safeguard employees whose personal information may have been exposed.
