'Threats Against Kashmiri Pandits Shouldn't Be Taken Lightly': Omar Abdullah

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has warned against taking threats to Kashmiri Pandit employees lightly and called for action against those behind the threats while urging authorities to ensure their security.

The chief minister said that given the history of targeted killings of minorities in the Valley, many employees had attempted to leave but were "locked inside their camps".

"Targeted killings of minorities have taken place. Many employees were planning to flee, but they were locked inside their camps. This threat should not be taken lightly. There should be action against those who are behind such threats, and the security of Kashmiri Pandit employees should be ensured," the chief minister said.

Last week, hundreds of Kashmiri Pandit employees were 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.

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

"After the threats, police 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 their homeland following the outbreak of the armed insurgency in 1990.

In 2022, terrorists carried out targeted attacks on Kashmiri Pandit employees, killing five of them. The attacks triggered massive protests by PM package employees, who sought their transfer and posting 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 of the Valley.

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

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

Before the threats to Kashmiri Pandit employees, terrorists had carried out two separate targeted attacks in south Kashmir.

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