Kashmir shuts down, this time to protest Pahalgam terror attack

For first time since the revocation of Article 370 in 2019 the Kashmir valley observed a complete hartal with shops and educational institutions closed and traffic off the roads on Wednesday to protest the dastardly terror attack on tourists in Pahalgam that left at least 26 dead on Tuesday afternoon.

The tourist destination of pahalgam resembled a ghost town with businesses downing their shutters and no vehicles plying Srinagar including the old city wore a deserted look All markets were closed in the city business hub of lal chowk This is the first time after years that such a hartal is beeing observed in Kashmir particularly after the Narendra modi led centre’s crackdown on kashmiri separatists said Abdul Hameed, a local resident and streetfood seller.

The incident shocked the valley and its tourism industry after the terrorist gunned down 26 visitors in the Baisaran meadow of Pahalgam in south kashmir anantnag district on Tuesday.

Union home minister Amit Shah who arrived in Srinagar on Tuesday night lieutenant governer Manoj sinha and chief minister omar abdullah paid their last respects to the slain tourists at the police control room in Srinagar.

Expressing shock and anguish against the despicable attack the chief minister announced an ex gratia of 10 lakh each for the families of the deceased 2 lakh for those seriously injured and 1 lakh for those with minor injuries. This barbaric and senseless act of brutality against innoncent civilians has no place in our soceity. We condemn it in the strongest possible terms. We mourn the precious lives lost he said.