August 15 Preparations in Kashmir: More Night Patrols, Checkpoints and Frisking; Pandits Asked to Stay at Home

Security agencies have tightened arrangements across the Kashmir Valley ahead of Independence Day on August 15. Jammu and Kashmir Police have increased frisking and checking of commuters in Srinagar and other areas. Officers have strengthened checkpoints, night patrols and surveillance at vulnerable locations, while security personnel are monitoring important entry and exit routes. Authorities will hold the main Independence Day function at Bakshi Stadium in Srinagar, prompting agencies to reinforce security around the venue. On Monday, Kashmir Zone Inspector General of Police V.K. Birdi chaired a security review meeting at the Police Control Room in Kashmir. Senior officers from the Jammu and Kashmir Police, BSF, CRPF, SSB, ITBP, RPF, intelligence agencies, traffic police, Army and district police attended the meeting. District police chiefs briefed the IGP about preparations in their respective areas and arrangements for scheduled Independence Day events.

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Security agencies strengthen checkpoints and patrols ahead of August 15 celebrations

During the meeting, IGP V.K. Birdi directed security officials to complete preparations well before Independence Day celebrations. He reviewed the arrangements for the main function at Bakshi Stadium and instructed officers to strengthen security around the venue. He also ordered police units to intensify checking at vulnerable locations and strengthen checkpoints during night hours. Security personnel will maintain greater surveillance along Srinagar’s entry and exit routes to prevent any possible disruption. Police have also increased area domination exercises and patrolling in sensitive locations across the Valley. Officials have assigned responsibilities for different Independence Day programmes, including rallies and public events. Security agencies are monitoring developments closely and coordinating their operations to respond quickly to any emerging threat. The intensified measures aim to ensure that people can participate in Independence Day celebrations safely while authorities maintain strict vigilance across sensitive areas.

The heightened security has also followed online threats allegedly targeting Kashmiri Pandit government employees working in the Valley. Threat posters circulated online reportedly carried the names and phone numbers of some employees. Security agencies have linked the posters to the United Liberation Council, which officials have described as a shadow outfit of Lashkar-e-Taiba. Authorities have increased security around migrant employees and their residential colonies following the threats. However, no formal government order publicly confirming a work-from-home arrangement until August 15 has emerged so far. Employees said departments communicated the instructions through internal channels. Sanjay Tickoo, president of the Kashmiri Pandit Sangharsh Samiti, said employees had been asked to remain inside their colonies and avoid reporting to offices until Independence Day. Around 6,000 Kashmiri Pandit employees currently work in Kashmir under the Prime Minister’s employment package and serve across different government departments.

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Threats to Kashmiri Pandit employees prompt increased security in Valley

Recent attacks in south Kashmir have added to the security concerns surrounding migrant and minority employees. On June 22, militants killed policeman Ashiq Hussain Qureshi in a busy marketplace in Anantnag while he was deployed for Amarnath Yatra duty. Ten days later, militants killed two migrant workers from Chhattisgarh, Deepak Ratray and Bopinder, in Kulgam. The two workers were employed at a brick kiln. Authorities subsequently increased security around migrant workers and residential colonies. Meanwhile, the administration has stepped up the Har Ghar Tiranga and Vande Mataram campaign across Jammu and Kashmir. District administrations and BJP workers have organised Tiranga rallies, group recitations of Vande Mataram and the National Anthem, quizzes, marathons, sporting activities, cultural programmes, cleanliness drives and public outreach events.

Police have also intensified operations against people and organisations accused of promoting radical, separatist or militant activities. The Counter-Intelligence Kashmir unit arrested two men, Mehran Qazi from Dooru in Anantnag and Babar Hamid Dar from Sopore, for allegedly circulating radical and anti-national content online. In north Kashmir, Sopore Police conducted simultaneous searches at 26 locations as part of an investigation into the activities and network of the banned Jamaat-e-Islami. The operation covered Sopore town and areas including Bomai, Tarzoo, Shutloo, Rohama, Goripora and Behrampora, with CRPF personnel assisting the police. Authorities said they searched premises linked to Jamaat-e-Islami leaders, members and activists and seized documents, literature and electronic devices for examination. Police said the searches formed part of an investigation under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. The Union Home Ministry declared Jamaat-e-Islami an unlawful association in 2019, citing alleged separatist and militant links.

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