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In the aftermath of the deadly terrorist attack in Pahalgam, fear and anxiety have gripped tourists visiting Jammu and Kashmir, leading many to cancel their travel plans and seek early return to their home states.
A tourist from Chhattisgarh shared how the situation had deeply affected their family. "... We were in Patnitop on April 22. We got a call from my mother-in-law asking if we were in Pahalgam... Our family called us and asked us to return as soon as possible because they were scared as the no. of deaths kept increasing... My friend's husband from Raipur was also killed in the attack...," she said. The tourists, who had originally planned a week-long vacation, have now curtailed their itinerary. "... We had a 7-day trip planned. We have cancelled it, and now we are in Bhaderwah. We are trying to leave, but all the routes are closed. Let's see what happens..." Meanwhile, the mortal remains of Dinesh Miraniya reached his residence in Raipur, Chhattisgarh on Thursday, Multiple political leaders were seen arriving to pay their respects and attend the last rites of Miraniya who was among the 26 people, mostly tourists who were gunned down by terrorists in Phalgam on Tuesday. The attack was one of the deadliest in the Valley since the 2019 Pulwama strike in which 40 CRPF jawans were killed. The attack was one of the biggest terror attacks in the region after the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019. In response, the Central government announced on Wednesday the closure of Attari ICP, reducing the strength of High Commissions in India and Pakistan to 30 officials each, and suspended the SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme (SVES) visas. Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said, "Any SVES visas issued in the past to Pakistani nationals are deemed cancelled. Any Pakistani national currently in India under an SVES visa has 48 hours to leave India." (ANI)
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