PDP says party ‘leaders prevented from protesting against outsourcing of govt. jobs in J&K’

Opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Tuesday (June 30, 2026) accused the administration of a crackdown on its leaders “to stop street protests over outsourcing of 25,000 jobs” in Jammu and Kashmir.

PDP president Mehbooba Mufti said PDP leaders and workers across the Valley were placed under house arrest to prevent a peaceful protest against the outsourcing of government jobs.

“This selective helplessness exposes the National Conference’s duplicity. Their duplicity is further exposed when departments such as Housing, Revenue and Forest readily enlist police assistance to demolish the homes of poor and vulnerable families in the name of anti-encroachment drives,” said Ms. Mufti.

She said the party’s youth wing “courageously carried out protests against the NC government’s backdoor appointments even in the face of police crackdowns, detentions and house arrests”. “Speaking truth to power is never easy but your determination and resilience have shown that no amount of intimidation can silence the voice of justice,” said Ms. Mufti.

Scores of PDP youth leaders, who held street protests in Srinagar, called for “an immediate rollback of the decision, and demanded transparent and merit-based recruitment”. According to the PDP, protests were held in Anantnag, Budgam and Bandipora districts.

Ruling NC has dismissed allegations over the selection of 25,000 employees in the different departments through private agencies. J&K Minister Sakina Itoo refuted the PDP allegations, saying neither outsourcing was introduced by the NC nor recruitment procedures were compromised”. “The concept of outsourcing was inherited from the previous governments,” said Ms. Itoo.