'Feels safe here, there is security too,' say tourists returning to Pahalgam after terror attack

Pahalgam : A week after the dastardly terrorist attack in the peaceful town of Pahalgam, a wave of resilience and optimism is sweeping through the valley as tourists are returning to the union territory.

A tourist from Kolkata, West Bengal, who is visiting Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir, spoke to ANI about her trip and said, "Before I came here, I was scared, but now it feels great."

Another tourist says, "It feels safe here, there is security too. We faced no problems so far. Some of the tourist spots are closed."

What was once a bustling hub with 5,000 to 7,000 tourists daily has seen a dramatic dip to just 50-100 visitors in the days following the tragedy.

Earlier this week, foreign and domestic tourists strolled through the town, bringing a sense of normalcy and hope back to the region.
Croatian and Serbian tourists were seen exploring the streets of Pahalgam, entirely at ease. Holding nothing back, they expressed their admiration for Kashmir's unmatched beauty and its warm people.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a meeting with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan, and the three service chiefs.

National Security Advisor Ajit Doval was also present at the meeting.

The meeting took place days after a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security on April 23, following the terror attack on tourists in Pahalgam in which 26 people were killed.

Government sources said the Prime Minister affirmed that it is India's national resolve to deal a crushing blow to terrorism. The sources said PM Modi expressed complete faith and confidence in the professional abilities of the Indian Armed Forces.

They stated that PM Modi said the Indian Armed Forces have complete operational freedom to decide on the mode, targets, and timing of India's response.

The meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Modi on Tuesday, was attended by the Army Chief, General Upendra Dwivedi, the Navy Chief, Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi, and the Air Chief Marshal, Amar Preet Singh.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh had met Prime Minister Narendra Modi at 7, Lok Kalyan Marg, PM on Monday. The meeting came a day after Chief of Defence Staff Anil Chauhan briefed the Defence Minister on some decisions in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir.

The government has said that the terrorists responsible for the attack and the conspirators behind it will face severe punishment.

The government had convened an all-party meeting after the Pahalgam terror attack. Opposition parties have expressed their full support for any action taken by the government against the perpetrators of the terror attack.

In the briefing to the CCS, the cross-border linkages of the terrorist attack were brought out. It was noted that this attack came in the wake of the successful holding of elections in Jammu and Kashmir and its steady progress towards economic growth and development.

The government has announced a series of measures, including putting the Indus Water Treaty in abeyance, to send a strong message to Pakistan for its support of cross-border terrorism.