Two attacks on J&K-bound buses in Haryana, Punjab; missing Kashmiri labourer found dead in Punjab

Two attacks on Jammu and Kashmir-bound passenger buses in Haryana and Punjab within days, coupled with the death of a Kashmiri labourer who had gone missing in Ludhiana, have raised concerns over the safety of Kashmiris travelling and working outside the Union Territory.

The latest incident involved a 40-seater sleeper bus operated by a private tour and travel service and travelling from Delhi to Srinagar, which was allegedly pelted with stones near Ludhiana in Punjab around 11 pm on Sunday. The attack shattered the windowpanes of the bus and left an elderly passenger injured, while other travellers, including women, children and senior citizens, were left frightened.

According to the account provided by the agency, the attackers also used threatening language against the vehicle because it was from Jammu and Kashmir.

The incident comes two days after another Kashmir-bound bus operated by the same company was attacked with stones near Divine Star Dhaba in Kurukshetra, Haryana, on Saturday evening. An elderly passenger was injured in that incident as well.

Haryana Police have detained two people in connection with the Kurukshetra attack, while the state government has maintained that the altercation stemmed from a parking dispute. Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini said the safety of every citizen and visitor to Haryana was the government's utmost priority.

“Immediate action has been ensured by the Haryana Police,” Saini said in a post on X, adding that the investigation had found the incident to have arisen from a parking dispute between two drivers. He said an FIR had been registered, both accused arrested and further legal proceedings initiated.

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah had earlier condemned the Haryana incident, saying it should never have happened. He expressed hope that the Haryana government, led by CM Saini, and the state police would apprehend the culprits and take action to prevent such incidents from recurring.

The latest attack in Punjab has triggered fresh condemnation from political representatives and groups in Jammu and Kashmir.

Jammu and Kashmir Students Association national convener Nasir Khuehami also questioned the targeting of Kashmir-bound buses and the safety of Kashmiri passengers travelling through other states.

He urged Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and the state's Director General of Police to take immediate cognisance of the incident, ensure a thorough and impartial investigation, identify those responsible and initiate strict legal action.

“No one should be targeted, threatened, or intimidated because of their identity or place of origin,” Khuehami said, adding that national unity must be reflected in the treatment of every citizen.

Meanwhile, in a separate incident, the body of Aijaz Ahmad Dar, a 28-year-old labourer from Darpora, Hallpora, Gadool in Kokernag, who had been missing was recovered in Punjab and brought to his native village on Monday, officials said.

According to his family, he first travelled to Srinagar and stayed there for around 10 days before leaving for Ludhiana, Punjab, to find employment. The family remained in telephone contact with him for about a week, but subsequently lost contact after his phone was switched off. A missing report was lodged on September 26.

On October 17, residents of Hallpora and Dar's family staged a protest over his disappearance, expressing concern for his safety and demanding that efforts be intensified to trace him. The protest ended peacefully following intervention by the SDPO Kokernag and the SHO of Police Station Kokernag.

After his body reached the village on Monday, family members and local residents staged another protest outside Police Station Kokernag, alleging that Dar had been murdered and demanding a thorough investigation into his death.

Police assured the protesters that the case would be taken to its logical conclusion, following which they dispersed peacefully.