A shutdown is being observed in Kashmir on Wednesday following the militant killings of tourists in Pahalgam.
Political parties, sociopolitical groups, and civil society have called for a bandh to protest the killings, which claimed at least 26 lives.
The ruling party in Jammu and Kashmir—Jammu and Kashmir National Conference (JKNC), People’s Democratic Party, and All Parties Hurriyat Conference’s Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, among others, collectively called for a complete Kashmir bandh on Wednesday, April 23, in response to the brutal attack in Pahalgam.
Militants opened fire at Baisaran meadow near Pahalgam in south Kashmir on Tuesday afternoon, killing 26 people, most of them tourists.
The attack marks the deadliest militant attack in the Kashmir Valley since the Pulwama attacks in 2019.
“On the instruction of the Party President, JKNC joins the collective call for a bandh in strong condemnation of the Pahalgam terror attack. We appeal to the people of J&K to ensure the hartal called by religious and social leaders is a complete success,” JKNC posted on X.
Calling for a complete shutdown in Kashmir on Wednesday, April 23, Mehbooba Mufti said, “A united stand against violence is the need of the hour.”
Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, in a post on X, announced that the Mutahida Majlis Ulema (MMU) has called for a peaceful shutdown across Jammu and Kashmir tomorrow. The call comes in support and solidarity with the families of those killed in the lethal Pahalgam attack.
“The Islamic fraternity of Jammu and Kashmir, through Mutahida Majlis Ulema (MMU), in support and solidarity with the bereaved families of those killed, appeal to the people of Jammu and Kashmir to peacefully protest this heinous crime tomorrow by a shutdown,” Mirwaiz Umar Farooq posted on X.
Following the deadly attacks, PM Narendra Modi cut short his Saudi Arabia trip and will land in India on Wednesday morning. He was earlier scheduled to return on Wednesday evening. Home Minister Amit Shah rushed to Srinagar after the attacks and is set to hold a high-level meeting, reported PTI.
