Truckers Issue Ultimatum To Government After Militants Kill Four Drivers In Kashmir, Demand Adequate Security Or Threaten To Avoid Valley

Terrified after rising fatal attacks on truck drivers by militants in Kashmir recently, transporters across India have threatened to stop operations in the Valley if adequate security is not provided by the government. The latest attack on truck drivers came on Monday when a driver from Udhampur was allegedly shot dead by militants in Bijbehara in Anantnag while two others were saved by the cops.

In a statement, the All India Motor Transport Congress threatened that soon the trucks would stop transporting goods to Kashmir thereby ceasing supply of essential goods to the Valley if security is not provided to the truckers.

The move comes after militants killed a non-local trucker in Jammu and Kashmir on Monday taking the number of truckers killed in the Valley to four. The series of attacks on truckers began on 14 October after a truck driver named Sharief Khan was killed by militants in Shopian.

Soon after the first attack on trucker, the transport companies came up with an appeal to the government seeking convoy escort to the trucks. But till now no such provision has been made.

“The first incident of the attack was read as a stray one. But now it has become a trend. We now need security to operate in Kashmir,” says a member of the body.

In a letter sent to Home Minister Amit Shah, the All India Motor Transport Congress demanded that the trucks which transport goods and services to the Valley be provided security to prevent any attack on them.