Pahalgam terror attack LIVE: India suspends Indus Water Treaty

Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara on Wednesday said the Pahalgam terror attack was a glaring security and intelligence failure. At least 26 persons were shot dead by terrorists on Tuesday.

He demanded that the Centre should locate the terrorist outfits behind the incident and neutralise them mercilessly.

“What surprises me the most is the fact that we have a very strong military intelligence network in the country. They have done some very good job on many occasions. The moot question here is why the intelligence failure happened and how and from where the terrorists reached there,” the minister told reporters.

He said the Centre should take this matter very seriously.

“Even more concerning is the fact that only Hindus were targeted...,” Parameshwara said.

The terrorist organisation that has claimed involvement should be located and action should be taken against it, the minister said.

When asked whether this was a security failure as well, Parameshwara said because of the “intelligence failure” the security lapse took place. The terrorists escaped the glare of military intelligence, he added.

The landslide-hit Jammu-Srinagar National Highway was reopened for one-way traffic on Wednesday after remaining closed for the last three days, while a special train has been launched from Katra to New Delhi to assist the stranded passengers to reach their destination, an official spokesperson said.

The highway, the only all-weather road connecting Kashmir with the rest of the country, was blocked due to multiple landslides triggered by heavy rains and cloudbursts early Sunday.

“The (Jammu-Srinagar) national highway at Ramban is made functional on a one-way basis,” the spokesperson said, also announcing the launch of a special train service from SMVD Katra station to New Delhi to assist the stranded passengers and accommodate the “extra rush”.

“The administration remains committed to the well-being of all tourists and urges everyone to cooperate and follow the necessary guidelines,” he said.

The Pahalgam terror attack has triggered widespread panic in eastern India’s travel industry, with tour operators reporting widespread cancellations of scheduled tours to Jammu and Kashmir.

Industry leaders in Kolkata, a key hub for travel to Jammu and Kashmir, claimed that the incident could undo years of recovery and growth that followed a long period of militancy in the valley.

The attack marks the first time in recent memory that tourists were specifically targeted, heightening safety concerns among travellers.

“This is madness,” said Bilolaksha Das, chairman of the eastern chapter of the Travel Agents Federation of India.

“There had been terror attacks in Kashmir before. But never before were tourists identified and killed. The entire tourism industry and all its partners revolving around Kashmir, both in the valley and various parts of India, will go for a toss after this incident,” he said.

Das told PTI that tour operators have been receiving calls nonstop from panicked clients looking to cancel or defer their plans.

“Already several bookings have been cancelled since Tuesday night,” he said.

“With this incident, we are now looking at a bleak tourist season, which started from February-end and will continue till mid-October, including the Durga Puja vacation,” Das said.

He pointed out that Kashmir was the top destination for most domestic travellers in the last few years during the summer holidays, with seven out of the 10 bookings being for the valley.

Shamim Shah, the chairman of the Jammu and Kashmir chapter of the Travel Agents Federation of India, said the ghastly incident “may have” an impact on tourism.

“Yes, it is quite obvious that tourists might put their travel plans on hold. But it’s too premature to comment on what extent the cancellations will happen.

“It’s true that such incidents instil fear among tourists, but we should not allow the perpetrators of such ghastly acts to succeed. Right now, we are not calculating our economic losses but want to console the tourists and stand by those who lost their loved ones,” he told PTI.

Official figures show that Jammu and Kashmir recorded a historic footfall of 2.35 crore tourists in 2024, up from 2.11 crore in 2023 and 1.88 crore in 2022. This included both domestic travellers and pilgrims heading for the Amarnath Yatra and Vaishno Devi shrine, as well as about 65,000 foreign tourists.

But the Pahalgam attack may have “significant ramifications”, said Anil Punjabi, national committee member of the Travel Agents Federation of India.

“More than 30 per cent of Kashmir’s tourist inflow is from eastern India, especially West Bengal,” he said.

Punjabi said there were bookings of around 300 people per day from West Bengal alone for the summer vacation period.

“You can calculate the losses. Most of these bookings are either going to be cancelled or indefinitely postponed. Tour operators are going to incur heavy losses,” he said.

Six of the 26 people killed by terrorists in Pahalgam hailed from Maharashtra and their bodies are being brought back, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has said.

Fadnavis, who also holds the Home portfolio, said he has deputed ministers to oversee the arrangements for bringing back the mortal remains of the tourists from the state.

The CM said six residents from Maharashtra, including natives from Mumbai and Pune.

In a post on X, Fadnavis said the mortal remains of Sanjay Lele and Dilip Disle will be brought to Mumbai by an Air India flight from Srinagar.

“This flight will depart from Srinagar at 12.15 pm. The mortal remains of Kaustubh Ganavate and Santosh Jagdale will be brought to Pune in a flight that will depart at 6 pm. The flight carrying the mortal remains of Hemant Joshi and Atul Mone to Mumbai will leave Srinagar at 1.15 pm,” he said.

Cabinet ministers Ashish Shelar and Mangalprabhat Lodha will be at the Mumbai airport for coordination, while minister Madhuri Misal has been entrusted with the responsibility in Pune, he said.

Another cabinet minister Girish Mahajan is leaving for Srinagar, the CM said.

Arrangements are also being made to bring back other tourists from Maharashtra who are in Jammu and Kashmir, the CM maintained.

Meanwhile, Pune district collector Jitendra Dudi said the administration is coordinating with the families of the slain tourists, Kaustubh Ganavate and Santosh Jagdale, for their funeral.

“We are coordinating with the families to facilitate the last rites,” Dudi said.

A total of 264 tourists from Pune city and nearby areas had travelled to Jammu and Kashmir in recent days, and many of them are currently stranded at various locations across the Union Territory, he informed.

“Some of the tourists (from Pune) injured in the attack are undergoing treatment in hospitals (in J&K). We are in touch with them and extending all necessary support,” Dudi said, adding efforts are underway to bring back the stranded tourists by special flights.

“We are in talks with Pune Lok Sabha MP and Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol to arrange special flights for their return,” the collector added.

China on Wednesday “strongly condemned” the terror attack in Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir that killed 26 people.

“China has noted the reports,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun told a media briefing in Beijing while responding to a query on the attack.

“We strongly condemn the attack. China firmly opposes all forms of terrorism. We mourn for the lives lost and express sincere sympathies to the bereaved families and the injured,” he said.

Separately, Chinese Ambassador to India Xu Feihong also condemned the attack.

“Shocked by the attack in Pahalgam and condemn,” he posted on X.

“Deep condolences for the victims and sincere sympathies to the injured and the bereaved families. Oppose terrorism of all forms,” he added.

Pakistan on Wednesday said it condoles the death of tourists in the Pahalgam terror attack.

“We are concerned at the loss of tourists’ lives in an attack in Anantnag district. We extend our condolences to the near ones of the deceased and wish the injured a speedy recovery,” their Foreign Office spokesperson said.

The Resistance Front, a proxy of the banned Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), has claimed responsibility for the attack.

Officials said it was possible the terror group members had crossed over from Kishtwar in Jammu and reached Baisaran through Kokernag in south Kashmir.

Days earlier, Pakistan Army Chief General Asim Munir described Kashmir as Pakistan’s “jugular vein”, triggering a sharp response from New Delhi.

“Our stance is very clear, it was our jugular vein, it will be our jugular vein, and we will not forget it. We will not leave our Kashmiri brothers in their heroic struggle,” Gen Munir said while addressing the first Overseas Pakistanis Convention in Islamabad on April 15.

The event was also attended by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, senior ministers and Pakistanis living abroad.

India had slammed Munir's remarks.

“How can anything foreign be in a jugular vein? This is a Union territory of India. Its only relationship with Pakistan is the vacation of illegally occupied territories by that country,” External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday reviewed the security situation in Jammu and Kashmir in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack.

Chief of Defence Staff Gen Anil Chauhan, three service chiefs, defence secretary and Army's Director General of Military Operations were present in the meeting.

It is learnt that Singh directed the armed forces to enhance their combat readiness and increase intensity of anti-terror operations.

The Civil Aviation Ministry has asked airlines to ensure there is no surge in airfares on the Srinagar route, and airlines will be operating additional flights to the city.

Air India and IndiGo will operate a total of four additional flights from Srinagar to Delhi and Mumbai on Wednesday. Airlines have also waived ticket rescheduling and cancellation charges.

Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu held an urgent meeting with all airline operators and issued a strong advisory against surge pricing on the Srinagar route.

Airlines have been directed to maintain regular fare levels, ensuring that no passenger is burdened during this sensitive time, an official release said on Wednesday.

Air India has operated a flight from Srinagar to Delhi at 1130 hours and from Srinagar to Mumbai at 1200 hours.

“All our other flights to and from Srinagar will continue to operate as per schedule,” it said in a post on X.

Air India operates five flights from Delhi and Mumbai to Srinagar daily.

The airline is also offering complimentary rescheduling and full refunds on cancellations to passengers with confirmed bookings till April 30 on these sectors.

IndiGo said that in view of the emerging situation in Srinagar, it has extended waivers for rescheduling or cancellations for travel until April 30, applicable to bookings made on or before April 22.

“Additionally, we are operating two flights today, April 23, to and from Srinagar, one each from Delhi and Mumbai,” the airline said in a post on X.

IndiGo operates 20 flights daily connecting Srinagar.

Thousands of tourists have begun leaving Kashmir after the Pahalgam terror attack on Tuesday, with authorities making all efforts for the safe return of the visitors to their respective home states.

People associated with tourist trade said most of the tourists were leaving the valley due to fear, a day after 26 tourists were killed by terrorists at Baisaran meadows in Pahalgam resort in Anantnag district.

“We know tourists have by and large been safe in Kashmir but with such an incident happening here, one cannot expect them to stay back. The cancellations are massive, close to 80 per cent,” Aijaz Ali, a travel operator from Srinagar, said.

He said there were cancellations of packages even for next one month.

“All the good work over the past several years has gone down the drain. It will take a lot of convincing to bring tourists again to Kashmir,” Ali added.

While most tourists are scared, some are staying back.

“We have come out (of hotel rooms) and we do not feel any fear. There is security everywhere. We have plans to visit Pahalgam and if the situation remains good, then we may go there tomorrow,” a woman tourist from Maharashtra said.

She said there was fear when she heard about the attack.

“We have come from Mumbai, we thought now we have to return, but the hotel staff made us feel safe and comfortable. They told us we can move around. We came out and saw that here is police and army everywhere and tourists are feeling secure. We can safely move around and the fear is decreasing now,” she added.