Kashmiri Pandit Employees Sent on Leave After Threat Letter

Hundreds of Kashmiri Pandit employees have been placed on administrative leave until August 25 following the circulation of a purported threat letter allegedly issued by a group linked to Pakistan -based terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). The letter reportedly named several employees and included their contact details, triggering fresh security concerns in the Valley. Officials said employees appointed under the Prime Minister’s special employment package have been advised to move to safer locations. Those specifically named in the purported threat letter have been shifted safely to Jammu , sources said. The reported threats have prompted Kashmiri Pandit employees to stay away from workplaces as security agencies assess the situation. “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 an investigation into the threats is underway and security measures are being strengthened to protect 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 received government jobs under the Prime Minister’s special employment package, which 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. Security concerns among PM package employees had intensified after targeted attacks in 2022. Terrorists killed five Kashmiri Pandit employees that year, triggering protests by PM package workers that continued for seven months. The employees had demanded transfers and postings in Jammu. Although the government did not agree to post them in Jammu, they were subsequently moved to safer locations in Srinagar and other major towns across the Valley. Concerns have resurfaced following a July 22 attack in Anantnag in which a policeman was killed, followed by an attack on migrant workers in Kulgam. Officials have warned of the possibility of further attacks, including against minorities living in the Valley. Security and patrolling have since been intensified around areas inhabited by minorities and Kashmiri Pandit employees, officials said. The heightened security situation has also affected the annual Amarnath Yatra. Officials cited low pilgrim footfall, a weather advisory, and track repair work while announcing the suspension of the pilgrimage from August 9, weeks before its scheduled culmination. A major security crackdown has been underway in the Valley since July 22, with more than 3,000 suspects detained. Some estimates have put the number of arrests even higher. Police have described those detained as Over Ground Workers (OGWs), a term used for people allegedly involved in covertly assisting terrorists. At the same time, police have maintained that local recruitment into terrorist groups has almost reached zero, while the scale of the OGW detentions has raised questions about the complexities of the security situation on the ground.