Even as the J&K administration on Friday (August 14, 2026) refuted any work-from-home orders for Kashmiri Pandits working in Kashmir, the community has approached the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) and the National Commission for Minorities (NCM) to “probe how personal data of Prime Minister Package Employees in Kashmir was leaked” and made it to a purported terror threat letter online. J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said “a credible threat cannot be taken lightly”.

Rakesh Handu, a Pandit social activist, said he was in touch with the six Pandit employees whose names and mobile numbers figured in the threat letter online and “were shifted to Jammu”.

Mr. Handu, on behalf of Kashmiri Pandit PM Package employees, has submitted a representation to the NHRC and NCM. “For the last few days, threat letters and lists are again circulating. These lists contain name, department, place of posting, and personal mobile numbers of PM Package employees. This is not isolated. Similar lists were published by Kashmir Fight / TRF (The Resistance Front) blog in 2022 (56 employees) and 2023 (57 PM Package teachers),” said Mr. Handu, in the letter.

He pointed out that after the targeted killings of Rahul Bhat, Rajni Bala post-2019, “many of Pandit employees had submitted en mass resignations citing threat to life”.

“When a religious minority serving the Government is openly threatened, named, and told not to hoist the national flag, it is a test of human rights and minority rights in a democracy,” reads the letter.

The letter demanded a FIR and probe by the police’s Cyber Cell and the National Investigation Agency. “There should be an immediate security audit of all PM Package employees and transit camps, especially before 15th August celebrations. Till threat assessment is complete, allow work from home or attachment to Jammu,” it added.

Meanwhile, Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir, Anshul Garg on Friday (August 14, 2026) said no order has been issued asking Pandit employees to work from home. “The administration has made necessary security arrangements for employees, residents and the general public ahead of the Independence Day celebrations in Srinagar. We should rely on the authentic information channels that are provided by the government and the administration,” said Mr. Garg.

Reacting to Mr. Garg’s statement, Mr. Handu sought clarification from the J&K administration and said, “Why are these contradictory statements coming from Honourable Divisional Commissioner Kashmir?”

Meanwhile, J&K CM Abdullah said militancy may be declared “finished.” “But a credible threat cannot be taken lightly. Those responsible for security must act decisively, identify those behind it, and ensure foolproof protection,” said Mr. Abdullah.

J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday (August 13, 2026) termed the attack on Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Sukhbir Singh Badal as “heinous and unacceptable in a democracy”.

Condemning the attack on Mr. Badal and describing it “heinous attack”, Mr. Abdullah said, “Such attacks have no place and no justification in a democracy.

Expressing concerns over security, Mr. Abdullah said, “What is shocking is that after Sukhbir survived an attempted assassination attempt in Amritsar earlier, nothing seems to have been done to protect him better.”

J&K Minister Satish Sharma has flagged the issue of “defiance and disrespect towards the authority of the Ministry”, allegedly displayed by a senior bureaucrat, with Chief Minister Omar Abdullah.

Mr. Sharma, who holds several portfolios including Transport, in a letter to the Chief Minister sought the transfer of J&K Transport Commissioner Vishesh Paul Mahajan, who was posted at the position by the Lieutenant-Governor in December 2024.

“Mr. Mahajan’s continued defiance of and disrespect towards the authority of this Ministry has reached a point where the orderly administration of the Transport Department is being seriously compromised. I regret that I am compelled to raise this matter formally, having exhausted other means of resolving it,” reads the letter of Mr. Sharma.

He said Mr. Mahajan’s conduct has “given rise to open defiance to written or verbal directives, bypassing, discourteous conduct and communication towards the Minister”.

The J&K Minister, in the letter, highlighted that the Transport Commissioner functions as the principal executive officer of the Department under the policy direction and overall supervision of the Minister-in-charge, who in turn remains answerable to the House and to the public for the functioning of the Department.

“Persistent insubordination by a senior officer not only undermines the authority and dignity of the elected office but also disrupts the chain of administrative accountability, adversely affects the morale of the Department, and ultimately impedes the delivery of public services to the citizens,” said the Minister.

The Minister asked the CM to intervene and “requested that Mr Mahajan be immediately moved out of the post of Transport Commissioner and a suitable officer of appropriate seniority be posted in his place”.

The J&K government and the L-G administration have been constantly on a collision course when it comes to transfers of officials in J&K, ever since the elected government took over in October 2024. The elected government and the Centre are yet to finalise the Transaction of Business Rules, which defines the domain of the Chief Minister, Council of Ministers and the L-G in the seven-year-old UT.

Mr. Mahajan earlier served as the Deputy Commissioner, Reasi, and was transferred and appointed as the Director, Tourism, Jammu, by the L-G. However, the Omar Abdullah government had objected to his transfer in 2024 too.

Referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s repeated promise to restore Jammu and Kashmir’s Statehood, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Sunday (July 12, 2026) said a commitment made by the country’s highest elected leader should carry weight. 

“In (Jammu’s) Katra, the Prime Minister talked about the restoration of J&K’s Statehood, with these words that ‘it isn’t an ordinary promise but Modi’s promise’. If the PM makes a promise, it should carry some weight, and there should be some action on it,” said Mr. Abdullah, addressing a public rally in J&K’s winter capital Jammu.

This was the second major public rally by the ruling National Conference (NC) ahead of its proposed July 20 protest at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi to demand restoration of Statehood and constitutional guarantees. On Saturday (July 11), Mr. Abdullah addressed a similar rally in J&K’ summer capital Srinagar. 

He said, “Whenever the people of Jammu and Kashmir seek fulfilment of the promise, we are told it will happen ‘at the appropriate time’. The restoration of Statehood is not the cause of any one party; it is the cause of every citizen of Jammu and Kashmir. That is why we have invited every political party and leader to join us on July 20. With elections still years away, this is the time to rise above politics and stand united for our shared future,” said Mr. Abdullah.

Referring to the Centre’s outreach to Ladakh with Article 371 safeguards, Mr. Abdullah said, “If dialogue and constitutional safeguards can be offered to those who choose to protest, why are the democratic aspirations of the people of J&K denied? We seek nothing more than the restoration of our rightful Statehood and the authority to govern through the mandate given to us by the people.”

Responding to the BJP’s scathing attack following allegations that the party had offered ₹20-₹30 crore to buy NC’s legislators, Mr. Abdullah said, “They (the BJP) never tire of plotting and breaking up parties. In Maharashtra, look at the parties of Sharad Pawar and Uddhav Thackeray. What have you done to Mamata Banerjee’s party in West Bengal and the Aam Aadmi Party in Punjab? You yourselves boastfully claim that you ran Operation Lotus.”

He alleged, “If the BJP is unable to join the government ‘through the front door’, it tries to rule ‘through the back door’.” 

Speaking on the occasion, Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary said restoration of Statehood is a must to ensure good days for J&K, adding, “Give us back Statehood so that we can address employment issues. This is the voice of the people of J&K.”

Jammu and Kashmir was reorganised into a Union Territory in 2019 when the Centre ended its seven decades of special status under Article 370. The NC came to power in 2024, and after assuming office as the Chief Minister, Mr. Abdullah met Prime Minister Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah and pressed for Statehood status.

The National Conference has announced a sit-in at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar on July 20, the first day of the Monsoon Session of Parliament.  

CPI(M) backs sit-in

Meanwhile, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) extended support to the July 20 protest.

“The decision of the 5th August 2019—when Article 370 and Article 35-A were abrogated—was taken without any consultation with stakeholders of Jammu and Kashmir, and it remains as an unprecedented assault on the rights of the people. It was not an attack on one party or one region alone, but one that touched every community, caste and creed in the entire region,” said CPI9M) State Secretary Abass Rather.

Mr. Rather appealed to every political party, organisation and citizen, regardless of ideology or affiliation, to set aside the differences and join hands on this common cause on July 20.

“This is in the larger interest of the constitutional order of the country. Any further delay in this regard is bound to further deepen the widespread discontentment and disillusionment of the people,” he added.

Ahead of the ruling National Conference’s (NC) upcoming protest in Delhi over Statehood and constitutional guarantees, J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday (July 7, 2026) held a meeting with members of civil society. 

“The meeting was extremely productive and Dr. (Farooq Abdullah) Sahib was able to get a lot of useful feedback and good suggestions. The meeting passed a unanimous resolution, calling on the Union government to fulfil its promise and restore full Statehood to J&K without further delay,” Mr. Omar Abdullah said.

Earlier in the day, NC president Dr. Farooq Abdullah informed civil society members of the protest to be held at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on the first day of the monsoon session of Parliament on July 20.  

NC leaders briefed members on the Supreme Court judgment of December 2023, where the apex court had asked the Centre to “restore Statehood [at the] earliest”. The NC leaders termed the delay in restoration of Statehood as “inordinate” and described the Centre’s “appropriate time phrase” as a “vague and timeless expression”.

“Statehood had to follow delimitation and assembly polls, held in 2024. It has not. We have decided to protest in Delhi,” a senior NC leader told the leaders.

Delegations representing the travel, tourism and business sectors also raised issues concerning tourism promotion, business facilitation, and the overall growth of the economy in J&K, a government spokesperson said

J&K has been a Union Territory in 2019, when the Centre ended seven decades of the region’s special status under provisions of Article 370. Since then, there have been constant demands from J&K’s regional parties to restore the Statehood and special status.

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Monday (May 11, 2026) said there is nothing wrong in giving telecom powers to the lieutenant governor during public safety events, as he holds the charge of security and law and order.

“This is the right thing. These powers should be with the lieutenant governor. This is not against the business rules or the reorganisation act,” Mr. Abdullah told reporters.

He said that orders to stop phone services or internet are issued by the home department, which comes under the Lieutenant Governor (L-G).

“If there is a need to stop mobile phone or internet services, the order will be issued by the home department, which is the responsibility of the L-G. If they have to lean on our shoulder for shooting the gun, it would not be good for us as we have no role in it,” Mr. Abdullah said.

Asked if he would raise the statehood issue during his upcoming meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah, the Chief Minister said he would discuss all the issues concerning Jammu and Kashmir.

“I wish we could have got our statehood after one meeting with the home minister. If that was the case, we would have gotten it a long time ago. But yes, I will raise statehood, business rules and other issues concerning Jammu and Kashmir in the meeting,” he said.

The Chief Minister also sought to clarify his controversial remarks on the demand for a ban on alcohol in Jammu and Kashmir.

“These shops selling liquor are meant for those who can consume these things as per their religious beliefs. Our religious beliefs do not permit it. The problem is that the opposition is twisting and turning my statements to create confusion,” he said.

Speaking to reporters in Ganderbal on Sunday (May 10, 2026), Mr. Abdullah had said those who consume liquor were doing it of their own free will, and no one was dragging them to the stores.

Mr. Abdullah said the Opposition should tell people what they have done about the issue when they were in power.

“What I said in Ganderbal on Sunday is exactly what their (PDP) finance minister said on the floor of the House. We have not opened any new liquor store, and we make sure that these shops are not at places where our youth can be led astray,” he added.

On cabinet expansion, the Chief Minister said it will happen at an appropriate time.

“This issue is being raised by the opposition. I don’t know why they are concerned. The functioning of the government is going on smoothly. The next election is due in three-and-a-half years. When expansion or a reshuffle is to be done, I will discuss it with the party leadership and do it at an appropriate time,” he added.

Ruling National Conference (NC) and opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Wednesday (May 6, 2026) engaged in a war of words over the Rajya Sabha elections and the closure of the seminary-cum-school in Kashmir.

“Those who aided the BJP in the Rajya Sabha polls were exposed through Right To Information (RTI). No one in my party will act against the organisation,” said J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who inaugurated a multi-purpose sports complex at Government Degree College, Tangmarg, in north Kashmir.

In October 2025, J&K held three rounds of polling for four Rajya Sabha seats. According to data from the Election Commission of India (ECI), the third round had the highest invalid votes at three out of 87 cast. BJP’s Sat Sharma managed 32 votes, four more than their strength and the NC candidates, Shammi Oberoi bagged 31 votes and Imran Nabi Dar got 21 votes. In the third round, which was won by the BJP, NC lost seven votes, with four cross voting and three votes found invalid.

According to an RTI, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), which had three votes, had not appointed polling agents. The party had publicly offered support to the NC. However, the NC now casts aspersions on the voting pattern of the PDP.

The PDP accused the ruling NC of using the issue as diversionary tactics. “This is not fundamentally about the Rajya Sabha – it serves as a diversion from substantive concerns, notably the Siraj-ul-Aloom controversy and the erasure of Urdu from official records,” said PDP legislator Waheed-ur-Rehman Parra.

The PDP accused the NC of disintegrating the Peoples Agenda for the Gupkar Declaration, an amalgam of parties in J&K formed after the Centre ended the special status in 2019.

Mr. Parra said the PDP president showed magnanimity and decided “neither to abstain or impose conditions”.

“Rather than dwelling on the one lost Rajya Sabha seat and attributing blame to the PDP, the government would do well to focus on ensuring that your pre-existing 50 MLAs and five MPs deliver effective governance,” said Mr. Parra.

Meanwhile, PDP president Mehbooba Mufti accused the NC of dragging the holy Quran into political rivalry. “I wish the NC leaders would have opened their mouths when the Waqf Bill was passed. They would have spoken up when Siraj-ul-Uloom School was closed,” said Ms. Mufti.

She accused the NC of remaining silent over the surveillance of mosque committees, maulvis, and imams, besides the alleged “destruction” of the Urdu language.

“People’s houses are being demolished in the name of drug peddlers. Before that, the houses of militant sympathisers were demolished. Employees are being fired from government jobs. They are watching a spectacle,” she added.