New Delhi/Srinagar, April 23 – Prime Minister Narendra Modi convened an urgent meeting at Delhi airport with National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar shortly after returning from Saudi Arabia, to assess the situation following the deadly terror attack in Pahalgam. The assault, which occurred on Tuesday afternoon at a popular tourist spot in South Kashmir, claimed the lives of at least 26 individuals, most of them tourists, including two foreign nationals from the UAE and Nepal. Several others were injured in the attack.
As per agency report, the bodies of the 26 deceased were transported early Wednesday from the Government Medical College (GMC) in Srinagar to the Police Control Room, where Union Home Minister Amit Shah paid floral tributes. Shah, who arrived in Srinagar late Tuesday night, assured the survivors that those responsible for the attack would be brought to justice. He also met with some of the injured and emphasized that the central government stood firmly with the victims and their families.
The Jammu and Kashmir administration announced ex-gratia payments of Rs 10 lakh each to the families of the deceased, Rs 2 lakh to the seriously injured, and Rs 1 lakh to those with minor injuries.
An investigation team from the National Investigation Agency (NIA), led by an Inspector General, has been dispatched to Pahalgam to assist local authorities in the probe. Meanwhile, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman cut short her official visit to the United States to return for a high-level meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS), chaired by the Prime Minister.
The attack has drawn widespread condemnation across the political and social spectrum in both Kashmir and Jammu. Numerous political parties, religious organizations, trade unions, and civil society groups called for a Kashmir-wide shutdown on Wednesday. This marks the first such general shutdown in the region in 35 years in protest against a terror attack.
Shops, schools, and business establishments remained closed in major cities, and peaceful protests were reported in several areas. Leading Kashmiri newspapers printed black front pages with white or red headlines in a show of mourning and solidarity.
In response to growing concerns, the Ministry of Civil Aviation directed all airlines to ensure there is no surge in airfares on the Srinagar route. Airlines have also been requested to schedule additional flights to and from the city to assist passengers.
Meanwhile, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and senior leader Rahul Gandhi reached out to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, and Congress' state leadership, urging that justice be served swiftly.
Kharge, in a social media post, stated that those responsible for the heinous act must be punished and that the innocent victims deserve justice. Rahul Gandhi echoed these sentiments, confirming that he had spoken with Shah, Abdullah, and J&K PCC President Tariq Hameed Karra to obtain updates. Currently on an overseas visit to the United States, Gandhi stressed that the affected families were entitled to both justice and the nation’s full support.
The attack comes at a time when Kashmir has seen a revival in tourism after years of conflict, raising fresh concerns over security just months before the annual Amarnath Yatra is scheduled to begin.
