Pahalgam Attack: J-K cabinet ministers visit states to ensure safety of students, professionals

SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir ministers visited various states on Saturday to coordinate efforts with their respective governments and ensure the safety of the Union territory residents staying there. J-K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah deputed his cabinet ministers to various cities in the wake of reports claiming harassment of Kashmiri students and businesspersons in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack.

Deputy CM Surinder Choudhary, who arrived in Mumbai earlier in the day, met Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and expressed satisfaction over the measures taken by the state government for the safety of J-K residents, an official spokesperson said.

The spokesperson said Choudhary also interacted with students, business people and professionals working in Maharashtra to instill a sense of security in them. J-K Education minister Sakina Itoo, who reached Punjab, met Governor Gulab Chand Kataria and Chief Secretary K A P Sinha, seeking urgent steps for instilling a sense of security among the J&K residents staying in Punjab and Chandigarh.

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The spokesperson said the governor and Sinha assured the minister of full cooperation for the safety of students and business professionals residing in Punjab and Chandigarh. Itoo also engaged with the members of the J&K community in Punjab.

Minister for Agriculture Production Javed Ahmad Dar visited the neighbouring state of Himachal Pradesh and called on Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu to apprise him of the situation arising out of the recent Pahalgam terror strike.

During the interaction, Sukhu emphasised that the people of Himachal Pradesh are peace loving and believe in communal harmony. He assured that the state government would take every possible step to guarantee the safety of all people from J-K living in HP. Similarly, cabinet ministers Javed Ahmed Rana and Satish Sharma reached Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand, respectively, to ensure the safety of people from the Union Territory in these states.