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Hindustan Times
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Pahalgam locals continue to grapple with loss of livelihood month after terror attack
A month after the deadly terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam, locals in the region are struggling to make ends meet due to the loss of their livelihoods. With the manhunt on for the terrorists behind the attack, the number of tourists in South Kashmir has plummeted. On April 22, 2024, four to six terrorists opened fire at a group of tourists in Pahalgam's Baisaran meadow, killing 26 people, including one Nepali citizen. In response to the attack, India downgraded its ties with Pakistan through the cancellation of visas, suspending the Indus Waters Treaty of 1960, expelling diplomatic and military staff and sealing its borders. India also attacked nine terrorist sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. In the aftermath of the Pahalgam attack, many tourists fled Srinagar. A month later, locals in Pahalgam and nearby areas have stated that the famed meadows now stand deserted. "The place looks desolate. We used to have thousands of tourists on any given day in Pahalgam, providing livelihood opportunities for everyone -- shopkeepers, roadside vendors, ponywallahs, cab drivers and hoteliers," tour operator Nasir Ahmad told news agency PTI. Ahmad added that even during the 1990 insurgency, Pahalgam was never as deserted as it is today. Shopkeeper Mohammad Irshad added that people have not earned a penny in a month. "The government will have to do something, and it cannot go on like this for too long," he told PTI. A month after the terror attack and a series of operations in Kashmir to combat terrorism, the terrorists behind the Pahalgam attack are yet to be nabbed by India. A day after the attack, the National Investigation Agency released sketches of three terrorists allegedly involved in the attack. Furthermore, the attack also resulted in a series of demolitions of houses affiliated to suspected terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir as well as terrorist affiliated to terror organisations such as Jaish-e-Mohammed, Lashkar-e-Taiba and Hizbul Mujahadeen. (With inputs from PTI)
News18
22-05-2025
- News18
‘Even Locals Not Visiting…': Pahalgam Still Dons Deserted Look A Month After Terror Attack
Last Updated: The horrific attack, which claimed the lives of 26 individuals, came as a huge setback for Kashmir's tourism industry. Pahalgam terror attack: A month after the ghastly terror attack on tourists in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam, the locals and small businessmen in the resort town still stare at mounting livelihood losses as the tourist footfall remain extremely low even in the peak season. The horrific attack, which claimed the lives of 26 individuals, came as a huge setback for Kashmir's tourism industry. What Locals Are Saying? A tour operator, Nasir Ahmad, told news agency PTI that even after a month, the place looks desolated. 'The place looks desolate. We used to have thousands of tourists on any given day in Pahalgam, providing livelihood opportunities for everyone — shopkeepers, roadside vendors, ponywallahs, cab drivers and hoteliers," Ahmad said. He further said that the resort town of Pahalgam had not worn such a deserted look even at the peak of the 1990s' insurgency. 'We used to host local visitors (Kashmiris) and that sustained the economy at the worst of times. However, this time, even local visitors are not coming," he said. Mohammad Irshad, a shopkeeper, said the situation for those earning a livelihood from tourism had started to turn desperate. 'The government will have to do something. People have not earned a penny in the past month and it cannot go on like this for too long," he added. ANI, '…My main business pertains to vehicles, which is related to tourism. It has been a month since tourists were killed (in Pahalgam). This should not have happened. What those terrorists did should not have happened. Pahalgam has been deserted since that day. We have all these vehicles, but there is no one to hire them. Still, we are hopeful that tourism will thrive once again in the days to come or next year. We trust the Government 100% that things will get better once again…We are now pinning our hopes on Yatra (Amarnath Yatra), which will help us earn a little. Right now, there are no tourists…I am 55 years old, I have seen militancy. But this is the first time there has been an attack in Pahalgam…This was our misfortune. It should not have happened." What Happened On April 22? In one of the biggest attacks in Jammu and Kashmir, four to five Lashkar-linked terrorists descended on the picturesque Baisaran meadows of Pahalgam and opened fire on on tourists on April 22, killing at least 26 people, including foreign tourists, and injuring many others. The Resistance Front (TRF), a Lashkar offshoot, claimed responsibility for the attack, although it later backtracked after massive global outrage. India, which had credible intelligence confirming cross-border links to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 people, launched 'Operation Sindoor' and struck nine terror dens in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir on May 7. The Indian armed forces destroyed multiple camps of terror groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) and Hizbul Mujahideen, killing more than 100 terrorists. While several top terrorists have been killed in various operations launched after the terror attack, the terrorists who carried out the massacre have eluded the security forces, officials have said. (With inputs from agencies) First Published: May 22, 2025, 17:24 IST
The Hindu
22-05-2025
- The Hindu
Month after massacre of tourists, Pahalgam locals count livelihood losses
A month after the deadly terror attack on tourists in Pahalgam, locals in the south Kashmir resort town stare at mounting livelihood losses, even as the perpetrators have managed to evade the massive crackdown launched by security forces to track them down. While several top terrorists have been killed in various operations launched after the deadly April 22, 2025 attack at Baisaran meadows, the terrorists who carried out the massacre have eluded the security forces, officials said on Thursday (May 22, 2025). Terrorists descended on the picturesque Baisaran meadows of Pahalgam on April 22, 2025 and shot dead 25 tourists and a local man who tried to save them. Though the exact number of terrorists who carried out the attack is not known, sources have said there were between four and six terrorists. Preliminary investigations have revealed that the terrorists shot the victims after verifying their religion by asking them to recite the "kalma", the verse recited to profess Islamic faith. The officials said the security forces were conducting relentless operations to track down the terrorists. "They have managed to evade the security forces thus far, but it won't be too long before we get them," a senior police officer said. Thousands of suspects across Kashmir were called in for questioning while hundreds were detained as the security grid launched a massive crackdown to hunt down the perpetrators of the massacre. Nearly 100 persons were booked under the Public Safety Act and sent to various jails. There are reports that security forces also picked up youngsters who had already served terms for past associations with militancy. Meanwhile, locals in Pahalgam and adjoining areas are counting their losses as tourists have stopped visiting. "The place looks desolate. We used to have thousands of tourists on any given day in Pahalgam, providing livelihood opportunities for everyone, shopkeepers, roadside vendors, pony wallahs, cab drivers, and hoteliers," said tour operator Nasir Ahmad. He said Pahalgam had not worn such a deserted look even at the peak of the early 1990s' insurgency. "We used to host local visitors [Kashmiris] and that sustained the economy at the worst of times. However, this time, even local visitors are not coming," he said. Mohammad Irshad, a shopkeeper, said the situation for those earning a livelihood from tourism had started to turn desperate. "The government will have to do something. People have not earned a penny in the past month and it cannot go on like this for too long," he added.
