Jammu-Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said on Sunday that there must be a decisive fight against terrorism and its origin. He added that the people of Kashmir have openly come out against terrorism and the murder of the innocent people.
"It’s time to build on this support and avoid any misplaced action that alienates people. Punish the guilty, show them no mercy but don’t let innocent people become collateral damage," Abdullah posted on X.
The recent statement by CM Omar comes amid a massive crackdown in the valley wherein the officials have razed houses and reportedly detained hundreds of workers for questioning. A total of 26 innocent people were killed in Pahalgam by terrorists.
Meanwhile, speaking on security in Gulmarg, SSP Baramulla Gurinder Singh said that tourists come here and the gondola is a big attraction and claimed a footfall of 3,000-5,000 on a daily basis.
Detailing the security, Singh said that "there have always been deployment of police, army, CRPF. Nonetheless, because of the heightened security concerns, we are vigilant. So far there have been no concerns, but in case something comes, we will take care of that. We are ready."
Actor Atul Kulkarni reaches Pahalgam with 'chalo Kashmir appeal
As tourism has taken a hit due to the attack in Pahalgam, actor Atul Kulkarni has landed in Jammu and Kashmir with an appeal to fellow citizens to visit the Himalayan region in huge numbers. He reached Srinagar early Sunday morning and drove straight to Pahalgam, where terrorists killed at least 26 people earlier this week, prompting tourists to give Jammu and Kashmir a miss in their holiday itinerary.
The intention of the terror attack was to tell tourists not to come to Kashmir. If we cancel our plans to travel to Kashmir, we are in a way allowing the intentions of the terrorists to succeed, the actor told PTI.
On Sunday morning, Kulkarni posted photographs of a virtually empty Mumbai-Srinagar flight. Crew said these ran full. We need to fill them again, he wrote in a post on X, with hashtags such as 'Chalo Kashmir', 'Defeat Terror', 'Feet in Kashmir'.
The actor said that one can understand that people could be shocked due to the terror attack, but shunning Kashmir as a tourist destination is not the answer.