PDP Protests Attacks on Kashmiris Outside Jammu Kashmir | Kashmir Life

SRINAGAR: The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) staged a demonstration in Srinagar on Saturday, protesting what it called a surge in harassment and violence against Kashmiris outside the Union Territory, highlighting the recent attack on a young Kashmiri shawl seller in Uttarakhand.

PDP members and supporters gathered in the city, holding placards and chanting slogans against hate crimes. They condemned the assault and said Kashmiris are increasingly targeted due to their identity. Protesters noted that the victim’s only “offence” was being a Kashmiri Muslim trying to earn a livelihood during the winter season.

Leaders of the party’s women’s wing described the attack as part of a worrying pattern of intolerance and urged authorities in other states to ensure the safety and dignity of Kashmiris living, working, or studying outside Jammu and Kashmir. They demanded strict action against those responsible for the Uttarakhand incident and called for confidence-building measures to prevent people from the Valley from living in fear outside their home region.

The protest remained peaceful, with speakers emphasising that Kashmiris have historically rejected violence and deserve constitutional protection wherever they reside.

The Uttarakhand incident involved an 18-year-old Kashmiri youth who was seriously injured after allegedly being attacked by a group of men in Vikas Nagar while selling shawls with his family.

Although the Uttarakhand police filed a First Information Report (FIR) and arrested one accused on Thursday, condemnation continues in Kashmir. Several reports of harassment and physical assaults on Kashmiri shawl sellers and seasonal workers from hill towns in Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh have reignited long-standing concerns about the safety of Kashmiri labour migrants.