Terror: J&K closes 48 of 87 tourist spots after April 22 massacre
Virendra Pandit
New Delhi: As India prepares for a tit-for-tat reply to Pakistan after the April 22 terror attack at Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir, that claimed the lives of at least 26 tourists and injured many more, the government on Tuesday closed more than half of tourist destinations in the insurgency-torn Union Territory.
The Pakistan-sponsored, heavily armed terrorists, who claimed the responsibility, were members of The Resistance Front (TRF), floated by a consortium of the proscribed Lashkar-e-Tayyaba and other outfits.
On Tuesday last week, the terrorists segregated male holiday-makers, asked their names and targeted Hindus before shooting them at close range in the Pahalgam area, sending shockwaves and outrage across the country and in many countries.
India has identified two of the three terrorists from Pakistan waging a violent revolt in Muslim-majority J&K. Pakistan, as always, has denied any role and called for a “neutral probe” which its mentor China has also supported.
A week after the massacre, the government on Tuesday closed 48 of 87 tourist destinations for tourists across Kashmir.mThe other destinations have been provided proper security. An official said that some of these destinations have been closed temporarily.
Meanwhile, passenger traffic at Srinagar International Airport has witnessed a steep decline. The number of passengers travelling through the airport fell noticeably in the last week. While flight operations have remained largely unaffected in terms of the number of flights, the load factor (passenger occupancy) has fallen.
In its persistent action against terrorist associates of proscribed terrorist outfits and as part of the ongoing investigation into cases registered under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), Srinagar Police continued searches across multiple locations in the city to dismantle terror-supporting infrastructure in the district. They raided the residences of 34 suspects across Srinagar with house searches across Kashmir crossing 1,000 in a week.
India has, since the 1980s, been a victim of Pakistan-launched terror attacks. Pakistan also funds, trains, arms, protects, and sponsors dozens of terror groups it has nursed and incubated. Islamabad even claims it only provides moral and diplomatic support to a demand for self-determination by a section of Kashmiris and greets terrorists as “freedom fighters.”
Tensions between the nuclear-armed neighbours have increased since the attack, along with calls in India for stern action against Pakistan.
New Delhi and Islamabad have taken a raft of measures against each other since the April 22 attack. India has suspended the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT). The Pahalgam massacre has left panic-stricken tourists seeking an early exit at the start of the busy summer season.
Firing has also increased along the 740-km (460-mile) Line of Control, separating the Indian and Pakistani areas of Kashmir.
On Tuesday, for the fifth consecutive day, the Indian army said it had responded to “unprovoked” small arms fire from multiple Pakistan army posts around midnight.
