Kashmiri Pandit Employees Face Fresh Threats As Militant Outfit Circulates Target Lists

Srinagar: Kashmiri Pandit employees working in the Valley under the Prime Minister’s Special Employment and Rehabilitation Package are once again confronting a wave of fear after fresh threat posters—allegedly issued by a little‑known militant outfit calling itself the United Liberation Council (ULC)—surfaced online.

Security agencies, who view ULC as a likely proxy of proscribed Lashkar‑e‑Taiba (LeT), have intensified verification and counter‑measures amid growing concern over the specificity of the information leaked.

The latest poster reportedly appeared on Sunday, naming around six Kashmiri Pandit employees—mostly migrant recruits who returned to the Valley under the PM Package. What has alarmed officials and the community is the level of personal detail disclosed--full names, exact residential addresses in Jammu, vehicle registration numbers, and in some instances, phone numbers.

As per reports, the online poster labels the employees “white‑collar terrorists,” “traitors,” and “pawns” of an “illegal regime,” accusing some of pushing an “RSS agenda.” It warns, “Wherever you are and wherever you go, we are watching your every move… calamity strikes when it must.” The poster is signed by an individual identifying himself as Ahmed Bilal, “Media Coordinator” and “Soldier of Resistance.”

Security officials say such granular personal data has rarely appeared in militant threat communications in recent decades, raising questions about possible leaks or access to government records.

This is the second ULC‑linked communication in less than three weeks. An earlier poster circulated around August 7 similarly named six employees—some from the Revenue Department—and published their phone numbers while threatening both Pandit staff and local police personnel.

Following the initial threat, the J&K administration quietly advised departments to keep PM Package employees on leave until around August 20 and strengthened security at transit colonies. However, Divisional Commissioner Kashmir Anshul Garg later clarified that no formal order had been issued directing these employees to work from home ahead of Independence Day.

In response to the latest poster, security forces have again intensified area domination, particularly around Pandit residential clusters and workplaces. A senior police officer said that reports of a fresh threat are still being verified. He described the earlier warnings as “psychological warfare” and “empty fear‑mongering tactics from Pakistan,” stressing that the Jammu & Kashmir Police “will not be intimidated” and will continue counter‑terror operations unhindered.

The threats come against the backdrop of renewed militant activity. On June 22, India Reserve Police head constable Ashiq Hussain Qureshi was killed in a sudden “shoot‑and‑scoot” attack in Anantnag. On July 31, militants opened fire at a brick kiln in neighbouring Kulgam, critically injuring two migrant labourers from Chhattisgarh—24‑year‑old Deepak Ratray and 28‑year‑old Bhupendra—both of whom later died in hospital.

These incidents shattered a period of relative calm and heightened fears among minority communities, particularly Kashmiri Pandit employees who have long been considered soft targets.

The All PM Package Employees Forum Kashmir wrote to the Chief Secretary on August 24, urging immediate security enhancement and a review of arrangements at workplaces and residences. Forum members insist they will not be cowed.

The Kashmiri Pandit Sangarsh Samiti (KPSS), representing Pandits who stayed in the Valley during the 1990 exodus, called the publication of confidential data a “chilling vulnerability,” asking whether the leak stemmed from a security lapse or deliberate sabotage. Their message on ‘X’ was blunt: “Fix the loopholes. Protect the vulnerable—before history repeats itself.”

Panun Kashmir convenor Dr. Agnishekhar termed the threats “a matter of grave concern,” urging Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha to order a comprehensive threat assessment for employees and their families.

The situation evokes memories of 2022, when militants carried out a series of targeted attacks on Kashmiri Pandit employees and others, killing five and triggering mass protests demanding relocation outside the Valley. The government refused relocation, instead shifting employees to more secure clusters within Kashmir.

Today, roughly 6,000–9,000 PM Package employees continue working in the Valley—many in fortified colonies—despite persistent risks. The renewed threats, combined with recent violence and the circulation of detailed personal information, have reignited fears and prompted calls for stronger security protocols, tighter data protection, and decisive administrative action.