Punjab governor urges tourists to visit Kashmir, says Pahalgam attack 'one-off' incident

Srinagar: Punjab Governor Gulab Chand Kataria on Tuesday urged people to continue visiting Jammu and Kashmir, saying the Pahalgam terror attack was an isolated incident and it should not impact tourism.

The recent Delhi blast showed that there are elements who want to destabilise the nation, Kataria, who is on a visit to Kashmir, told reporters here.

The April 22 attack by Pakistani terrorists in the Baisaran meadow of Pahalgam left 26 people, mostly tourists, dead.

In May, the Indian armed forces launched Operation Sindoor, targeting terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), in response to the attack.

"To think that such incidents (Pahalgam attack) happen every now and then is wrong. It was a one-off incident," Kataria said, adding people should visit Kashmir like they used to before the attack.

The Delhi blast has shown that there are elements in the country who want to destabilise the nation, he said.

"However, our preparedness has smashed these designs," he added.

On November 10, a blast in an explosives-laden car being driven by a suicide bomber near the Red Fort in Delhi claimed 15 lives.

The blast came shortly after an interstate "white-collar" terror module was uncovered with the recovery of around 3,000 kg of explosives mainly from Faridabad in Haryana.

Kataria said Punjab and Kashmir have suffered due to the situation along the border, but the government has taken steps to ensure the return of normalcy.

The governor enjoyed a shikara ride in the Dal Lake before heading to the iconic Lal Chowk.

At Lal Chowk, he recalled his association with the Tiranga Yatra of veteran BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi.

"I was part of that yatra but could not reach here that day as only a few of us, including Murli Manohar Joshi and Narendra Modi ji, who was the yatra organiser, were allowed to come," Kataria said.