People hold a candlelight march after terrorists attacked a group of tourists at Pahalgam in J&K's Anantnag district, at Handwara in Kupwara district, J&K, Tuesday, April 22, 2025.
Credit: PTI Photo
Srinagar: In a unified show of grief and protest, Kashmir’s business and travel trade bodies have called for a complete shutdown on Wednesday following the barbaric killing of 28 civilians, mostly tourists, in a terror attack in Pahalgam hill station in southern Anantnag district.
The attack, which occurred Tuesday afternoon in the Baisaran Valley — a famed tourist destination near Pahalgam— saw heavily armed terrorists open indiscriminate firing on a group of tourists, killing 28 and injuring several others. Most of the victims were visitors from other parts of India, with families and children.
The attack has left Kashmir shaken and mourning, prompting widespread condemnation and calls for unity against violence.
Leading the protest, the Chamber of Commerce and Industries Kashmir (CCIK), Jammu and Kashmir Hoteliers Club (JKHC), all major travel associations, transporters, restaurant owners, and civil society groups announced the Kashmir bandh, urging people to suspend normal activities for a day in solidarity with the victims.
“This is not just a tragedy — it’s a wake-up call,” said Iqbal Tramboo, a Srinagar-based hotelier. “An attack on tourists is unprecedented and deeply disturbing. We must speak with one voice to condemn this violence and show that Kashmiris reject terror in all forms.”
Former Chief Minister and PDP president Mehbooba Mufti also expressed deep anguish over the incident and backed the bandh call. “A united stand against violence is the need of the hour,” she stated.
Shops, businesses, and public transport are expected to remain shut on Wednesday, as Kashmiris come together to mourn the dead and express anger at the breach of peace in one of the Valley’s most frequented tourist destinations.
Wednesday’s bandh is expected to be widely observed, as Kashmiris mourn not just the lives lost, but the blow to the Valley’s hopes of peace.