Omar Abdullah, Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, has expressed sorrow over the exodus of tourists from Kashmir after the deadly terror attack that shook the entire nation. Abdullah said that he has permitted tourist vehicles to leave in a “controlled and organised way”, adding that free movement of vehicles cannot be allowed. The terror attack has killed 26 people and left several injured. PM Modi has cut short his trip to Saudi Arabia and is in India to oversee the situation. Home Minister Amit Shah is on ground zero and has said that the ‘culprits of this dastardly terror attack will not be spared’.
“It’s heartbreaking to see the exodus of our guests from the valley after yesterday’s tragic terror attack in Pahalgam, but at the same time, we totally understand why people would want to leave,” the chief minister said.
He added, “While DGCA & the Ministry of Civil Aviation are working to organise extra flights, NH-44 between Srinagar & Jammu has been reconnected for traffic in a single direction. I’ve directed the administration to facilitate traffic between Srinagar & Jammu, allowing tourist vehicles to leave.”
“This will have to be done in a controlled & organised way because the road is still unstable in places and we are also working hard to clear all the stranded vehicles. We will not be able to permit completely free movement of vehicles at the moment & we hope that everyone will cooperate with us,” he further said.
It’s heartbreaking to see the exodus of our guests from the valley after yesterday’s tragic terror attack in Pahalgam but at the same time we totally understand why people would want to leave. While DGCA & the Ministry of Civil Aviation are working to organise extra flights,… pic.twitter.com/5O3i5U1rBh
— Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) April 23, 2025
After the deadly terror attack, Abdullah said, “I’m shocked beyond belief. This attack on our visitors is an abomination. The perpetrators of this attack are animals, inhuman & worthy of contempt. No words of condemnation are enough. I send my sympathies to the families of the deceased.”
He added, “I’ve spoken to my colleague Sakina too & she has moved to the hospital to oversee arrangements for the injured. I’ll be flying back to Srinagar immediately.”
I’m shocked beyond belief. This attack on our visitors is an abomination. The perpetrators of this attack are animals, inhuman & worthy of contempt. No words of condemnation are enough. I send my sympathies to the families of the deceased. I’ve spoken to my colleague @sakinaitoo…
— Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) April 22, 2025
The JKNC party chief said, “Needless to say, this attack is much larger than anything we’ve seen directed at civilians in recent years.”
He also reposted a social media post by JKNC calling for a bandh across Jammu and Kashmir. “On the instruction of the Party President, JKNC joins the collective call for a bandh in strong condemnation of the Pahalgam terror attack. We appeal to the people of J&K to ensure the hartal called by religious and social leaders is a complete success.”
The attack comes after intelligence agencies warned about a possible strike targeting non-local tourists and the use of an improvised explosive device (IED), sources revealed to The Indian Express.
It also follows the Pakistan Army Chief’s “Kashmir is our jugular vein” remark. “Our stance is absolutely clear, it was our jugular vein, it will be our jugular vein, we will not forget it. We will not leave our Kashmiri brothers in their heroic struggle.”
However, Pakistan has denied involvement in the attack. Pakistan’s defence minister also said that the country doesn’t support any form of terrorism “under any circumstances”. He also said that “blaming Pakistan becomes a convenient excuse”, adding that the deadly terror attack is a result of “local uprisings”