Jaish’s offshoot threatens to attack Indian firms ‘stealing’ J&K’s natural resources

The letter comes in the wake of news reports of lithium reserves discovered in J&K’s Reasi; HT could not independently verify the authenticity of the threat letter which first appeared on social media.

A lesser-known terror outfit People’s Anti-Fascist Front (PAFF), an offshoot of Jaish-e-Mohammad, has threatened to attack Indian companies that dared to steal natural resources of Jammu and Kashmir.

Residents of Salal village pose for photos showing lithium stones in Reasi district on Saturday. The Geological Survey of India (GSI) has for the first time established 5.9 million tonnes of inferred resources of lithium in the Salal-Haimana area of Jammu & Kashmir. (PTI)

The threat letter, which has gone viral on social media sites, was issued by PAFF spokesperson Tanveer Ahmad Rather on Sunday following the discovery of lithium-ore deposits in Reasi district on February 9.

HT could not independently verify the authenticity of the threat letter which first appeared on social media.

“People’s Anti Fascist Front wishes to reassure the nation of Jammu and Kashmir that under no circumstances will we allow the colonial exploitation and theft of resources of Jammu and Kashmir at the hands of ugly Hindutva thieves,” read the letter.

It further read, “No ugly Hindutva thief will be allowed to steal our resources and then kill us with the same. We will attack Indian companies that dare to venture into the troubled waters of Jammu and Kashmir, not only inside Jammu and Kashmir but also inside India and those who know us, know that we will go to any lengths to fulfill our word.”

A senior police official has said such propaganda by proxy outfits was not a new phenomenon in Kashmir.

“These proxy outfits keep circulating such propaganda in an attempt to vitiate the atmosphere in J&K but security forces in the past two to three years have dealt a severe blow to Pakistan sponsored terrorism in the region,” he said.

It may be stated here that the news reports of lithium reserves in J&K’s Reasi have gone viral in Pakistan, which has been grappling with a severe economic crisis.

On February 9, the Geological Survey of India announced that 5.9 million tones of lithium reserves were discovered for the first time in Salal-Haimana area of Reasi district.