Kashmiris Urge Fleeing Tourists To Stay After Pahalgam Attack

On a typical day, Srinagar바카라�s Lal Chowk is full of life 바카라� cars move through the roads, pedestrians walk along the footpaths, and visitors stop to take photos. But this Wednesday was different. It was a day of mourning.

Locals gathered in protest at Ghanta Ghar, holding black flags and placards that read 바카라�Condemn the cowardly attack on tourists바카라�. They raised slogans like 바카라�Mehmano ka qatl-e-aam band karo!바카라� 바카라� Stop the massacre of guests. On the benches nearby, tourists sat quietly, watching. Many were in shock after what happened the day before. Most of them just wanted to leave Kashmir and return home.

On Tuesday, 25 tourists and at least one local, all men, were killed after gunmen burst out of the forest and opened fire in Baisaran, a meadow near Pahalgam, the valley of shepherds. Some eyewitnesses told the media the attackers deliberately targeted non-Muslims. Since the attack, security has been tightened across Kashmir, especially at popular tourist spots.

At a closed shop front in Lal Chowk, Kanda Behen, a tourist from Gujarat, wept on the steps as protestors passed by. Around her, women she had travelled with also broke down. 바카라�We were planning to visit Pahalgam yesterday,바카라� she said through sobs. 바카라�But we changed our plan at the last minute. It could have been us.바카라� A local young man sat before her, gently urging her not to leave. 바카라�You can come stay with us. My family will look after you,바카라� he said.

Moments like this were seen in different parts of the city. Tourists packing to leave and locals asking them to stay, trying to offer whatever support they could. 바카라�We had booked our return flight for April 28,바카라� said Nita, travelling with Kanda Behen. 바카라�But now we바카라�re leaving tonight. We don바카라�t feel safe anymore.바카라�

She added, 바카라�Everyone here has been like family to us바카라� but once a bullet is fired, there바카라�s no taking it back.바카라�

Many tourists are leaving earlier than planned. Others choose to stay in Srinagar only until their scheduled tickets. A few, like 75-year-old Malti Behen from Gujarat, decide to stay. 바카라�The locals have been nothing but kind,바카라� she said. 바카라�From the hotel owners to the auto drivers, everyone has looked out for me.바카라�

Beside her, a small group of Kashmiris chatted with tourists, offering comfort, insisting it was still safe. They weren바카라�t trying to salvage a tourist season; they were defending their identity, their hospitality, and their humanity, all of which is now being questioned.

For the first time since the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019, the Kashmir Valley observed a complete hartal (shutdown). Streets were quiet. Shops remained closed, except for a few pharmacies and grocery stores. Civil groups, trade associations, political parties in Kashmir, and even the Private Schools' Association of Jammu and Kashmir (PSAJK) supported the bandh. The prominent across the valley printed their front pages in black. Protests broke out in several places. Among those taking part was eleven-year-old Tawheed, who says, 바카라�Nobody deserves to be killed for whatever reason.바카라�

On social media, Kashmiris are using the hashtag #NotInMyName to distance themselves from the attackers. 바카라�We don바카라�t want to be blamed for a crime we didn바카라�t commit,바카라� one post read.

In just one day, what looked like a promising tourist season has fallen apart. Outside Srinagar Airport, the change was easy to see. The usual rush of arriving tourists was gone. Cabs that would typically head in full and come out with new passengers were now returning empty.

Reports from Srinagar, Gulmarg, Sonamarg and other tourist places say visitors are leaving in large numbers. Some are catching the first flight out. Travel agents say bookings for the summer season are being called off in large numbers. 바카라�The cancellations are massive,바카라� said one operator from Srinagar. 바카라�Almost 80 per cent gone.바카라�

With the Srinagar-Jammu national highway바카라�the only road connecting the Valley to the rest of the country바카라�blocked for days due to landslides caused by cloudbursts, flying has become the most viable option for tourists looking to leave. Civil Aviation Minister Rammohan Naidu said early Wednesday that IndiGo, Air India, and SpiceJet were operating seven additional flights from Srinagar.

바카라�It바카라�s heartbreaking to see the exodus of our guests from the Valley after Tuesday바카라�s tragic terror attack in Pahalgam, but at the same time, we totally understand why people would want to leave,바카라� Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said. 바카라�I바카라�ve directed the administration to facilitate traffic between Srinagar and Jammu, allowing tourist vehicles to leave. This will have to be done in a controlled and organised way because the road is still unstable in places and we are also working hard to clear all the stranded vehicles,바카라� Abdullah wrote on X.

The attack in Pahalgam has cast a shadow over the recent period of relative calm in Kashmir, where tourism had begun to pick up again after years of conflict. Questions are being asked about whether there was an intelligence failure or a security lapse.

For now, the Valley waits. Tourists are going home. Locals are hoping that they바카라�ll return.