SRINAGAR: 

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Saturday said that the region’s tourism industry has “been hit quite badly” and that his government’s immediate priority is to ensure a peaceful Amarnath Yatra pilgrimage.

“We want every pilgrim to leave from here safe and sound,” Omar said. “We want an incident-free annual pilgrimage, and later on, we will start looking at what we can do to promote tourism.”

Speaking to reporters in Srinagar, Omar said summer tourist arrivals are all but non-existent this season. “There are hardly any tourists coming here,” he said, adding that authorities are now fully focused on the annual Amarnath Yatra.

The Amarnath Yatra draws tens of thousands of Hindu pilgrims each summer to a cave in south Kashmir's Pahalgam. After the Pahalgam attack on April 22 and subsequent India-Pakistan tensions earlier this month, many potential visitors have stayed away.

Meanwhile, Omar welcomed an all-party delegation that is visiting several countries to present India’s perspective on the Kashmir issue. “During the tenure of Atal Bihari Vajpayee ji, a similar kind of delegation was deputed to multiple countries after the 2001 Parliament attack,” he recalled. “It is once again a good opportunity to put forth India’s voice.”

Omar also said that the ceasefire along the Line of Control (LoC) and the international border remains intact, with no recent violations. “At present, the damage assessment is being done,” he said. “Once we get the report, compensation will be provided to the affected people. Wherever needed, we will get the Centre’s assistance.”

Read More : 

From ‘Phool’ to fashion icon: Nitanshi Goel steals spotlight at Cannes