While the attack needs to be condemned, the glaring security lapses must be plugged to ensure that such incidents are not repeated.
Pahalgam Terrorist Attack: The horrific attack on tourists in Pahalgam on Tuesday is a shocking case of brutality and cowardice. Early reports indicate that between 20-27 tourists, including foreign nationals, were killed and many more wounded at Baisaran Meadow, a popular tourist destination near Pahalgam in Kashmir. Ground reports suggest the death toll may climb even higher. This mass slaughter has rightly drawn universal condemnation including in Kashmir. While this tragedy needs to be mourned and condemned, there is also need to address several critical concerns. The unprecedented scale of this attack stands out in Kashmir’s troubled history. In the 35-year span of armed conflict in the region, tourists have never been targeted on such a staggering scale.
The location of the attack raises serious security questions. Baisaran Meadow is situated in what should be a high-security area frequently visited by tourists. That militants could execute such a well-coordinated assault in this location and then escape is deeply worrying. The high casualty count suggests meticulous planning by a sizable, well-armed group of attackers. Their ability to infiltrate a secured area, navigate through a landlocked meadow with multiple checkpoints undetected, and carry out this massacre, and escape points to significant failures in both security protocols and intelligence gathering.
The government must respond to these lapses without brushing them under the carpet. A thorough review of security measures at all popular tourist destinations is important, besides strengthening of intelligence networks to prevent such attacks in the future. Restoring security and confidence will require transparency about what went wrong and concrete steps to ensure such a tragedy never happens again. Additionally, immediate support must be provided to the victims’ families and the injured survivors who now face a long road to recovery. This attack not only takes a terrible human toll but also threatens Kashmir’s tourism industry – a vital economic lifeline for several local residents.
In the last few years (Pahalgam Terrorist Attack), the government has been consistently making claims about restoring peace in the Valley and showcasing high influx of tourists as a sign of normalcy. Those claims now lay punctured with this attack. While promoting Kashmir as a safe tourist destination, the government appears to have left these unsuspecting visitors as sitting ducks, failing to provide the security infrastructure necessary to match their public declarations of peace. This disconnect between rhetoric and reality demands accountability from those responsible for ensuring visitor safety. The government must move beyond reassuring statements to implement genuine security reforms that protect all civilians in the region, both residents and tourists who are attracted by promises of a peaceful Kashmir.
