Amarnath yatra not to be affected by Pahalgam attack: Jammu and Kashmir Deputy CM

Srinagar: The Pahalgam terror attack will not affect the annual Amarnath pilgrimage which passes through the south Kashmir tourist resort, Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary said on Friday.

Pahalgam is one of the key base camps for the annual Amarnath yatra and falls on the traditional 43-km route leading to the 3,880 metre high cave shrine in south Kashmir Himalayas.

"Amarnath yatra is a religious event. Those who want to come for Amarnath yatra will come of their own will. Some people go to Kedarnath and some do not go because there is snow... The yatra shall not be affected just because of the Pahalgam terror attack," Choudhary told PTI Videos in an interview.

Terrorists struck at a prime tourist location in Pahalgam in south Kashmir on Tuesday, killing at least 26 people, mostly tourists, and injuring several others.

The Jammu and Kashmir deputy chief minister said while the Pahalgam terror attack was a big incident, it cannot shake the foundations of rich culture and tradition in Jammu and Kashmir. "Kashmiris will themselves facilitate the yatra as they have been doing over the years. I understand that innocent (tourists) have lost their lives but we cannot forget that there are people like Adil, a horse owner, who lost his life while saving the tourists. Jammu Kashmir has a rich culture," Choudhary said.

"This act of terror in Pahalgam, though it was big, cannot shake the foundations of brotherhood in Jammu and Kashmir," he said.

The annual Amarnath yatra is scheduled to commence on July 3 and culminate on August 9 this year.

On the fallout of the Pahalgam attack on tourism in Kashmir, Choudhary said, "We did not want the tourists to leave in the aftermath of the Pahalgam attack. We wanted the tourists to complete their tour which they had planned.

"However, we have provided all possible assistance to the tourists who wanted to return. At the same time we have asked people to tell their governments to ensure the safety of people of Jammu and Kashmir who are studying or working in their states because an ordinary Kashmiri has no role in these incidents," he said.

On the role of Pakistan in terror activities in Jammu and Kashmir, the deputy chief minister said Islamabad will have to introspect why fingers are always pointed at it whenever anything goes wrong.

"Pakistan will have to understand why the blame is always pointed at it. Why is no other country named in such incidents? Pakistan may deny as much as they want but it is a fact that the roots of terrorism are there," he added.