Quotes
For now, yes, we have cancelled all the events for which we have been preparing for over three months. We pray for peace and normalcy,
Saxena expressed
I have not been able to sleep since I got to know about the deadly attack,
Architect S Fatima, who returned from from Jammu and Kashmir trip just a day before the terror attack with her 11-member group, says ... she saysSara kaam ruk gya hai. I have no idea how to proceed. For now, I have decided to shoot in Himachal Pradesh, though I had designed a special sequence with Dal Lake in focus.”
He described the situation as “unfortunate,” statingI think we need to work on what next and how soon we can bring confidence back with more safety, tourism police in place, and better tour facilities involving local operators to gain the confidence of tourists,
he addedWe had booked 10 seats block with an airline per day from May 12 to June 20 from Lucknow-Delhi-Srinagar to-and-from for the upcoming season, and this happened. Tourists waited for a day, but from Wednesday, cancellations started pouring in. Now, we are negotiating with airlines to give us some relief in terms of adjustment, if not refunds, which is being worked upon,
he saysTerrorism has no religion. We have always taken care of tourists and have been their support in the high mountains. This tragedy will hit us in the worst ways,
Naushad says, crying
I had come to Kashmir on April 21 and was planning to stay till the 28th, but now I am terrified and leaving for my home in Haryana,
45-year-old Himani Sharma, who was staying at a hotel on the banks of Dal Lake in Srinagar city, tells Al Jazeera near the lake as she boards a taxi towards the airport with her familyIn a scenario where normal life is heavily under surveillance, it is the government that has to be held accountable. This incident has hurt the locals most; we are in grief,
a local handicraft shopkeeper in the main city of Srinagar tells Al Jazeera, requesting anonymityWhat has happened is akin to pouring a vial of poison into the food that has just been prepared,
Wani saysWe hired skilled professionals over the last few years. Our chefs and the staff overseeing the catering are among the best in the region,
says ImaadHe tried to snatch their rifle and was trying to save the woman’s father, but he was shot in the head and shoulder,
his brother, Naushad Shah, told Al JazeeraThen, someone brought a female visitor who had been lodging at our hotel back to her room. Her husband had been killed in the attack,
the 31-year-old hotelier tells Al JazeeraThe precursor for good economic activity is how much good news is coming out of the state,
says Ejaz Ayoub, a Srinagar-based economistI was planning to come this year. But now, I won’t,
said Bhaskar Bhatt, who lives in New DelhiA woman whose father was killed told me that my brother confronted the terrorists and tried to reason with them not to kill innocents,
Adil’s brother, Naushad Shah, tells Al Jazeera at his home in Hapat Nar village in Pahalgam, where most of the people either work as pony riders or tourist guides, earning an income of up to $5 a day.jpg)
It’s heartbreaking to see the exodus of our guests from the Valley after Tuesday’s tragic terror attack in Pahalgam, but at the same time, we totally understand why people would want to leave.”
In a post on X on Wednesday, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah wroteI have directed the administration to facilitate traffic between Srinagar & Jammu, allowing tourist vehicles to leave,
Abdullah wroteI was so busy yesterday morning, I didn’t even have time to speak to anyone,
Mushtaq Ahmad, 45, a restaurant owner, tells Al JazeeraI couldn’t have lifted all the injured survivors myself,
he explainsIndirect taxation decreases due to lower trade volumes,
he added