Examiner Bureau | Srinagar:
Minority employees, including Kashmiri Pandits working in the Valley, have reportedly been directed to work from home temporarily following fresh online threats and two recent terror attacks in south Kashmir, sources said.
The development comes amid heightened security concerns over threat posters circulated online that allegedly carried the names and phone numbers of Kashmiri Pandit employees posted in the Valley.
According to reports, security agencies have come across online threats targeting Kashmiri Pandit government employees. The threats are believed to have been issued in the name of a shadow outfit associated with Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), although the claims and attribution are being examined by security agencies.
Sources said the threat posters allegedly named six employees and included their phone numbers. The material reportedly claimed that the group possessed further details about the employees, including information about their family members and places of residence.
Following the circulation of the threats, security forces have reportedly intensified security around areas where Kashmiri Pandit employees and their families reside.
In view of the security concerns, the administration has temporarily advised affected employees to work from home.
“We have been told to work from home till August 25,” a Kashmiri Pandit employee appointed under the PM Package was quoted as saying.
The latest development follows two terror incidents in south Kashmir in recent weeks.
On June 22, a policeman, Ashiq Hussain Qureshi, was allegedly fired upon by terrorists in Anantnag town while he was deployed for Amarnath Yatra duty.
In another incident on July 31, two migrant workers from Chhattisgarh were shot at by suspected terrorists at a brick kiln in the Kelam area of Kulgam district. One worker died initially, while the second succumbed to his injuries the following morning during treatment at a hospital in Srinagar.
The incidents have renewed concerns over the security of vulnerable communities and workers in the Valley.
Pandit Groups Raise Security Concerns
The Kashmiri Pandit Sangarsh Samiti (KPSS) expressed concern over the alleged threat posters and questioned how the personal details of the employees became publicly available.
The organisation said the circulation of names and phone numbers, coupled with explicit threats, had once again highlighted the sense of vulnerability among Kashmiri Pandits living and working in Kashmir.
“Was it a security lapse, a confidentiality breach or a deliberate leak?” the group questioned in a post on X, calling for security loopholes to be identified and addressed.
“Fix the loopholes. Protect the vulnerable—before history repeats itself,” the group said.
Another Kashmiri Pandit organisation, Panun Kashmir, also expressed concern over the alleged publication of names and personal contact details of employees along with threats directed at them and their families.
Panun Kashmir convenor Dr Agnishekhar described the development as a matter of grave concern and called for effective measures to protect vulnerable employees.
The fresh threats have prompted security agencies and the administration to review security arrangements for Kashmiri Pandit employees serving in the Valley.
The temporary work-from-home arrangement is being viewed as a precautionary measure aimed at reducing the exposure of vulnerable employees while security agencies assess the credibility and source of the threats.
The reported circulation of personal information has also raised concerns over data security and the protection of sensitive details of government employees.
Security agencies are expected to examine the origin of the online material, verify the authenticity of the threats and determine whether the information contained in the posters was obtained through a security breach or another source.
The developments have added to concerns over the safety of minority employees in Kashmir, particularly against the backdrop of renewed militant activity in parts of south Kashmir.
Officials have not publicly confirmed the authenticity of the alleged threat posters or disclosed details of any specific security assessment. Further action is expected to depend on the outcome of the ongoing security review and investigation.
