Srinagar (Jammu and Kashmir), Apr 24 (ANI): In the wake of the Pahalgam terrorist attack, Jammu and Kashmir Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary strongly condemned the incident and expressed confidence that tourism in the region would remain ‘unaffected’ by attempts to instill fear.
Addressing media in Srinagar, Choudhary said, “Some people who think that by doing this they will be able to stop the tourists that come here from around the nation and world. Tourists will still come to J&K as they love J&K. J&K is the crown of India…”
Reiterating the region’s tradition of warmth and hospitality, the Deputy CM said that Jammu and Kashmir has always stood against terrorism.
“People came out on the streets and showed that they are not with terrorism…J&K CM chaired a cabinet meeting yesterday and today has also called an all-party meeting. The tourists who have come to J&K should not worry, the government is standing with them…, he added.
Deputy CM Choudhary also noted that the state government was in close coordination with the Centre and other state governments.
“Today we met Maharashtra Deputy CM Eknath Shinde…The J&K government is standing with the central government on this incident…,” he said.
Meanwhile, a two-minute silence was observed at the beginning of the All-Party Meeting in Srinagar on Thursday to honour the innocent lives lost in the Pahalgam terror attack.
This was a solemn moment of shared grief and determination among the leaders in attendance. The meeting, convened by Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah at the Sher-i-Kashmir International Conference Centre, brought together leaders from across the political spectrum to deliberate on the path forward in the wake of the April 22 terror attack that shook the region.
Senior PDP leader and former Law Minister Syed Basharat Ahmed Bukhari called the incident “shocking” ahead of the high-level deliberations. “The incident was shocking. Everyone was grieving yesterday. What can be bigger than humanity? This is just like a punctuation point in a paragraph,” Bukhari told ANI.
Several senior leaders, including National Conference President Dr. Farooq Abdullah, attended the meeting, signalling political consensus on the need for a coordinated response to terror threats. (ANI)