Srinagar, Jul 26: A delegation comprising members of the Jammu & Kashmir Students Association and the Jammu & Kashmir Mutton Dealers Association, led by Nasir Khuehami, National Convenor of the Jammu and Kashmir Students Association, met with the Advisor to the Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, Nasir Sogami, to raise serious concerns over “the ongoing harassment, extortion, and illegal seizure of livestock transporters in Punjab en route to Kashmir.”
The delegation highlighted how this sustained harassment has severely impacted the livelihoods of hundreds of dealers and transporters and exposed the systemic abuse taking place at key checkpoints in Punjab.
During the meeting, the delegation explained that “Kashmiri truckers are being forcibly stopped at various transit points in Punjab, blackmailed under the guise of animal welfare enforcement, and slapped with fabricated FIRs. The truckers, often stranded for hours in scorching heat, are forced to witness their livestock dying due to prolonged delays, resulting in tremendous financial loss and emotional distress. The delegation alleged that this daylight extortion is being carried out by local contractors with the tacit approval of certain officials, fostering an environment of lawlessness and fear along the highways.”
Khuehami informed the Advisor that the Jammu and Kashmir Mutton Dealers Association has been compelled to suspend the transportation of livestock from outside states due to the repeated and unlawful harassment, extortion, and intimidation faced by truckers, particularly at the Shambu and Madhopur checkpoints in Punjab.
“This ongoing harassment has severely disrupted the vital mutton supply chain to the Kashmir Valley,” the delegation pointed out. “Daily losses now exceed Rs 50,000, directly affecting thousands of livelihoods across Jammu and Kashmir, especially those dependent on the livestock and meat trade.”
In response, Advisor Nasir Sogami assured the delegation that the issue would be taken up at the highest level. He conveyed that Chief Minister Omar Abdullah will personally intervene and raise the matter with his Punjab counterpart. The Advisor assured swift action to bring an end to this mafia-style extortion, ensure the revocation of false FIRs, facilitate the release of the seized trucks and livestock, and hold all those involved accountable.
