LeT-linked terror group issues threat letter to Kashmiri Pandits

The United Liberation Council (ULC), described by Indian intelligence sources as a front of the banned Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), has issued a threat letter to Kashmiri Pandit officials working in Jammu and Kashmir, claiming to possess details of their families, locations and places of work. The terror outfit warned Kashmiri Pandits that they would be targeted even if they moved to Jammu.The letter, dated August 7, also warned the Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir, the Director General of Police and officials in New Delhi against continuing what the group described as the "attachment of properties" and "harassment of relatives of supporters and fighters" of the terrorists.A Srinagar-based senior journalist confirmed the authenticity of the letter to India Today Digital. The journalist also said that such threat letters trigger panic among the Kashmiri Pandit community, especially in Jammu.MK Dhar, the Media Secretary of Pandit advocacy group Panun Kashmir, called the warnings and threats "unacceptable". "For how much longer must Kashmiri Hindus live in hiding?" he asked.Kashmiri Pandits were forced to migrate from the Kashmir Valley in the 1990s due to a surge in terrorism, targeted killings and threats against the community. Terrorists issued warnings through local mosques, asking Kashmiri Hindus to convert to Islam, leave the Valley or face death.This period is the darkest chapter in the history of the Kashmiri Pandits, triggering a mass exodus from their homeland. While Kashmiri Pandits migrated to different parts of the country, a large number settled in Jammu.LET-LINKED TERROR OUTFIT THREATENS PANDITS, J&K COPSIn the communication, the ULC threatened retaliation and specifically singled out administrative departments, including the Revenue Department, claiming that several Kashmiri Pandit officials were employed there. The letter further claimed that the group had information about the officials and their family members and warned that they could be targeted even if they moved to Jammu.The ULC mentioned six government employees belonging to the Kashmiri Pandit community. India Today Digital is not disclosing any details regarding the employees mentioned in the threat letter by terrorists of the LeT-linked ULC.The letter also contained a threat against police personnel. It claimed that the force was predominantly made up of local residents and suggested that this would make individual personnel vulnerable to attacks.The communication letter was signed by a person identifying himself as Ahmad Bilal, described as the group's "Media Coordinator", under the designation "Soldier of Resistance".KASHMIRI PEOPLE SLAM TERRORISTS FOR THREATSThe threat has drawn condemnation from Kashmiri voices, including Junaid Qureshi, Director of the European Foundation for South Asian Studies (EFSAS), a think tank based in Amsterdam, The Netherlands.Reacting to the letter, Qureshi condemned the threat against Kashmiri Pandits and said Kashmiri Muslims had failed the community in the past but would not allow such attacks to happen again."We, Kashmiri Muslims, failed our Pandit brethren once. This time, you will not be able to touch any one of them," Qureshi said on X, while vowing to protect the Kashmiri Pandit community."We condemn this hateful and threatening rhetoric in the strongest terms. Kashmiri Pandits deserve security, dignity, and justice, not intimidation or fear. We stand with the Kashmiri Pandit community," a person, named Mudassir, posted on X.The threat from terrorists has also prompted a response from Panun Kashmir, an organisation representing displaced Kashmiri Pandits.KASHMIRI PANDIT GROUP PANUN KASHMIR CONDEMNS THREATIn a statement issued on August 8, Panun Kashmir Convenor Agnishekhar described the communication as a serious escalation, particularly because it names individuals and discloses their telephone numbers while claiming access to information about their families, locations and workplaces."The publication of names and personal contact details, accompanied by explicit threats to pursue the individuals and their families, is a matter of grave concern," Agnishekhar said in the statement.He said the threat could intimidate the individuals named in the communication and create fear within the wider Kashmiri Pandit community, given the community's history of targeted killings, intimidation and displacement.Panun Kashmir urged the Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir, Manoj Sinha, to order an immediate and comprehensive threat assessment of all individuals named in the communication and their immediate family members.The organisation has also called for an investigation into whether the ULC actually possesses the personal information it claims to have or whether the details are being used as part of a psychological warfare campaign."The authorities must investigate the source of the information, the digital trail behind the communication and whether any surveillance, profiling or reconnaissance of the targeted persons has taken place," Agnishekhar said.OMAR GOVT MUST WORK WITH TRANSPARENCY: PANUN KASHMIRPanun Kashmir Media Secretary MK Dhar also urged the government led by CM Omar Abdullah to respond with complete transparency and immediate action. "For how many more years must we Kashmiri Hindus be in hiding like this? This is totally unacceptable," Dhar told India Today Digital.Kashmir, which witnessed years of disruption and violence, has gradually returned to normalcy since the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government abrogated Article 370 in 2019, ending Jammu and Kashmir's special constitutional status.However, the fresh threats issued by the terrorist group against Kashmiri Pandits have raised concerns over the security of the community amid overall peace in the Valley.The threats come amid targeted attacks on migrant labourers in Jammu and Kashmir.In July, two migrant workers from Chhattisgarh, Deepak and Bhupender, were shot and killed by terrorists at Kellam village in Kulgam district.The authorities are now expected to assess the credibility of the threats and determine whether those named in the communication require additional security measures.- EndsPublished By: Avinash KateelPublished On: Aug 10, 2026 15:02 IST