Mehbooba Mufti sounds alarm: ‘Non-locals being pressured to leave Kashmir’

Peoples Democratic Party chief Mehbooba Mufti on Tuesday called for intervention from chief minister Omar Abdullah and lieutenant governor Manoj Sinha to address claims that the administration was pressuring non-local labourers to leave the Valley.
The former chief minister said that this ‘knee-jerk’ reaction could create further difficulties and damage the region’s image, particularly after recent peaceful elections.
“After the barbaric attack at Sonamarg there are reports that the local admin is pressurising non local labourers to leave the valley immediately. While I understand their obvious sense of panic but asking them to leave in this manner is not a solution,” said Mufti in a post on X (formerly Twitter).
“Will only create more difficulties & sends a very bad message to the country. J&K recently witnessed peaceful terror free elections & this knee jerk reaction will only prove otherwise. Might also cause outrage against Kashmiris working & studying in other states. Request Chief Minister Omar Abdullah & LG Manoj Sinha ji to intervene & at least give them enough time,” Mehbooba Mufti added.
Seven people were killed on Sunday when terrorists opened fire on construction site in Jammu and Kashmir’s Ganderbal district, officials said, identifying the victims as a Kashmiri doctor and labourers and staff of a contractor working on a tunnel for the Srinagar-Leh national highway.
The attack was the deadliest on civilians in Jammu and Kashmir since the June 9 incident in Reasi when nine pilgrims were killed after the bus they were in plunged into a valley when it came under gunfire from terrorists.
Sunday’s victims included a Kashmiri doctor and six people employed with a construction company who had returned to their camp in the evening. Among the six were three labourers, a manager, a mechanical engineer and a designer.
According to police, at least two terrorists opened indiscriminate fire on the camp that housed the workers of APCO at Gagangeer in Gund area of Ganderbal district.