Kashmiri Pandit shot dead, brother injured in militant attack in J&K’s Shopian

KPSS urges Kashmiri Pandits to vacate the Valley

16^th August 2022 : Militants shot dead a civilian and injured another, both members of the Kashmiri Pandit community, in south Kashmir’s Shopian District. According to the Police, terrorists fired upon civilians in an apple orchard in Chotipora area of Shopian. The victims are brothers – Sunil Kumar and Pintu Kumar, sons of Arjun Nath Kumar.

Kashmiri Pandit Sangharsh Samiti (KPSS) asked the community members to leave the Valley in the wake of increased attacks on them by the militants. “With another deadly attack on Kashmiri Pandits in Kashmir, the terrorists have made it clear that they are going to kill all the Kashmiri Pandits in Kashmir Valley”, KPSS Chief Sanjay Tickoo said.

“We have seen this for the last 32 years now. The Government has failed in providing security to the minorities, especially Kashmiri Pandits. How long are we going to die like this ? Enough is enough”, Tickoo said.

Sanjay Tickoo said the victims of the attack had approached senior officials of the administration to move them to safer places in view of the intelligence inputs that suggested that terrorists might target more minority community members.

“It is ironic that the officials told them that they have to live in their villages. What is the deal here ? They have inputs about possible attacks and yet they do not secure us”, he said. Tickoo wondered about the intent of the militants in targeting the Kashmiri Pandits. “Why did they not strike during the Independence Day parade ? Why was there no attack on Amarnath Yatra ? How come tourists are safe in Kashmir but Kashmiri Pandits are being targeted ?” he asked.