Srinagar, May 17 – Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Saturday described the government's move to send all-party delegations to foreign nations as a strategic opportunity to present India's position globally in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor.
Speaking to reporters in Srinagar, Abdullah said, "Members of all major parties will be included in these delegations, and it is a good opportunity to present India's viewpoint in front of the important countries."
He drew parallels with a similar initiative during the Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led government, recalling that after the 2001 Parliament attack, India had dispatched parliamentary delegations to other nations during Operation Parakram. “It is good,” he noted.
Kashmir Tourism Suffers After Pahalgam Attack
Addressing the slump in tourism following the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, Abdullah acknowledged that the sector has taken a serious hit."Tourism has been hit quite badly. This summer season of ours is more or less now washed; we hardly have any tourists coming," he said. The government, he added, is now prioritising the smooth conduct of the annual Amarnath Yatra, which is set to begin on July 3.
“We want the Amarnath Yatra to pass incident-free and want all the yatris to go back safe and sound. Then we will start looking at what we can do to promote tourism,” he said.
Situation Along LoC Remains Stable
Regarding the situation along the India-Pakistan border and the Line of Control (LoC), Abdullah confirmed that the current bilateral understanding has not been violated."Assessment of the damage is being done. Once the damage assessment report comes, we will work on the compensation package," he said. “Whatever we can do, we will do and whatever help we need from the Centre, we will ask the Centre.”
The Chief Minister’s comments underline the region’s cautious optimism amid heightened security concerns and efforts to revive tourism and maintain peace.
