1 week Ago By Megha Rawat
Pahalgam: Once bustling with honeymooners and vacationers, the scenic town of Pahalgam resembled a ghost town on Wednesday, reeling from the shock of the deadly Pahalgam attack. In the span of just 24 hours, almost all hotel rooms in the town were vacated, following the incident that claimed the lives of 28 civilians, most of them tourists. Until Tuesday morning, Pahalgam’s hospitality sector was thriving, hotels were fully booked, and local tour operators were busy managing travel inquiries.
However, everything came to an abrupt halt once news of the attack broke, bringing tourism activity to a sudden standstill. “We are now getting calls for cancellations. We try to convince prospective guests to wait a while.
Most insist on immediate cancellations, though,” Javed Burza, president of the Pahalgam Hotels and Owners Association, told The Hindu. Very few tourists stayed back in Pahalgam after the attack. Most hotels are empty now.
Out of 58 rooms, only four are occupied at my hotel. They too are leaving tomorrow,” Burza, Hotel Mount View owner, said. “Tourism season for Kashmir is done and dusted,” he added.
He further added that the past three years saw a significant increase in the tourist footfall in Kashmir. "The Pahalgam attack has a catastrophic impact on Kashmir tourism. The attack is inhuman and highly condemnable," Burza said.
Speaking of how Tuesday's massacre has changed everything in Pahalgam, Umar Majid, an arts graduate who opened his restaurant (Dana Rasoli Restaurant) at Yanner rafting point, told TOI, "We are devastated by what happened. I was used to serving hundreds of customers every day. Business was so hectic that I would often miss lunch.
" 28 people were killed on Tuesday, April 22, after terrorists opened fire at a popular tourist spot near Kashmir's Pahalgam town, in what is the deadliest attack in the valley since 2019. The attack hits at the heart of valley's tourism sector, which has been showing constant growth and was being dubbed as the most significant indicator of normalcy. The attack site, Baisaran pine forest, is an expansive meadow ringed by dense pine forests and mountains.
Terrorists came into the grassland, dubbed 'mini Switzerland', and started firing at tourists milling around eateries, taking pony rides or just picnicking, officials and eyewitnesses said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who returned to Delhi cutting short his Saudi visit, assured that those "behind this heinous act will be brought to justice." Centre To Hold All-Party Meet Today The central government will hold an all-party meeting on Thursday in the wake of the terror attack in Pahalgam.
The meeting will be chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. Singh is expected to brief leaders of different parties on the brutal terror attack. Several opposition parties, including the Congress, had demanded that the government should convene a meeting of all parties over the issue.
5-Big Steps By India After Pahalgam Terror Attack 1. The overall strength of the Pakistani and Indian high commissions will be brought down to 30 from the present 55 through further reductions, to be effected by May 1. 2.
Pakistani nationals will not be permitted to travel to India under the SAARC visa exemption scheme (SVES) and any Pakistani national currently in India under it SVES visa has 48 hours to leave India. 3. The CCS decided that the Indus Waters Treaty of 1960 will be held in abeyance with immediate effect until Pakistan credibly and irrevocably abjures its support for cross-border terrorism, Misri said.
The Indus Waters Treaty, brokered by the World Bank to share the waters of cross-border rivers, is considered to be the most durable pact between the two sides. 4. The integrated Attari-Wagah checkpost will be closed with immediate effect.
It is the only operational land border crossing between the two countries. Misri said that those who have crossed over with valid endorsements may return through that route before May 1. 5.
India will be withdrawing its Defence, Navy and Air advisors from the Indian High Commission in Islamabad. The CCS also decided that the DEfence, Military, Naval and Air advisors in the Pakistani High Commission in Delhi will be declared persona non grata. They have one week time to leave India.
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