‘Even Locals Not Visiting…’: Pahalgam Still Deserted A Month After Terror Attack

Advertisement

Last Updated:May 22, 2025, 17:24 IST

The horrific attack, which claimed the lives of 26 individuals, came as a immense setback for Kashmir’s tourism industry. 

adjacent deserted tourer municipality of Pahalgam, Anantnag district, J&K. (PTI)

Pahalgam panic attack: A period aft the ghastly panic onslaught connected tourists successful Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam, the locals and tiny businessmen successful the edifice municipality inactive look astatine mounting livelihood losses arsenic the tourer footfall stay highly debased adjacent successful the highest season.

The horrific attack, which claimed the lives of 26 individuals, came as a immense setback for Kashmir’s tourism industry.

What Locals Are Saying?

A circuit operator, Nasir Ahmad, told quality bureau PTI that adjacent aft a month, the spot looks desolated.

“The spot looks desolate. We utilized to person thousands of tourists connected immoderate fixed time successful Pahalgam, providing livelihood opportunities for everyone — shopkeepers, roadside vendors, ponywallahs, cab drivers and hoteliers," Ahmad said.

He further said that the edifice municipality of Pahalgam had not worn specified a deserted look adjacent astatine the highest of the 1990s’ insurgency.

“We utilized to big section visitors (Kashmiris) and that sustained the system astatine the worst of times. However, this time, adjacent section visitors are not coming," helium said.

Mohammad Irshad, a shopkeeper, said the concern for those earning a livelihood from tourism had started to crook desperate. “The authorities volition person to bash something. People person not earned a penny successful the past period and it cannot spell connected similar this for excessively long," helium added.

A section businessman, Mohammad Ashraf told quality bureau ANI, “…My main concern pertains to vehicles, which is related to tourism. It has been a period since tourists were killed (in Pahalgam). This should not person happened. What those terrorists did should not person happened. Pahalgam has been deserted since that day. We person each these vehicles, but determination is nary 1 to prosecute them. Still, we are hopeful that tourism volition thrive erstwhile again successful the days to travel oregon adjacent year. We spot the Government 100% that things volition get amended erstwhile again…We are present pinning our hopes connected Yatra (Amarnath Yatra), which volition assistance america gain a little. Right now, determination are nary tourists…I americium 55 years old, I person seen militancy. But this is the archetypal clip determination has been an onslaught successful Pahalgam…This was our misfortune. It should not person happened."

What Happened On April 22?

In 1 of the biggest attacks successful Jammu and Kashmir, 4 to 5 Lashkar-linked terrorists descended connected the picturesque Baisaran meadows of Pahalgam and opened occurrence connected on tourists connected April 22, sidesplitting astatine slightest 26 people, including overseas tourists, and injuring galore others.

The Resistance Front (TRF), a Lashkar offshoot, claimed work for the attack, though it aboriginal backtracked aft monolithic planetary outrage.

India, which had credible quality confirming cross-border links to the April 22 Pahalgam panic onslaught that killed 26 people, launched ‘Operation Sindoor’ and struck 9 panic dens successful Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir connected May 7.

The Indian equipped forces destroyed aggregate camps of panic groups similar Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) and Hizbul Mujahideen, sidesplitting much than 100 terrorists.

While respective apical terrorists person been killed successful assorted operations launched aft the panic attack, the terrorists who carried retired the massacre person eluded the information forces, officials person said.

(With inputs from agencies)

Location :

Pahalgam, India, India

First Published:

News india ‘Even Locals Not Visiting…’: Pahalgam Still Deserted A Month After Terror Attack