On Tuesday, Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) chief Mehbooba Mufti asserted that the responsibility for the security of the upcoming annual Amarnath yatra lies with the people of Kashmir.
During a meeting with various stakeholders and PDP workers at the Pahalgam tourist resort in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district, held in anticipation of the yatra commencing next month, Mufti emphasized, “The security of the yatris is your responsibility. Every stakeholder has the responsibility to safeguard the yatra and yatris. More than the police and the security forces, it is you who have to secure them.”
The PDP president revealed she had specifically summoned party workers residing along the yatra route and instructed them to ensure the pilgrimage’s safety. “I told them that the people of Pahalgam have to secure the yatra so that it passes off well and confidence is restored among the tourists, by virtue of which tourism will be restored,” she stated.
Mufti underscored the historical legacy of Kashmiris, particularly those in Pahalgam, in welcoming Amarnath Yatris for centuries, pledging that this tradition would continue with the same spirit. “We want Amarnath yatris to come. The way in which the people of Kashmir have welcomed them for centuries, God willing, they will be welcomed this year as well. They will be served well and they will return safe and sound to their homes,” she added.
Mufti highlighted the adverse impact of the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack on the valley’s tourism, which led to a halt in activity and distress for thousands of ponywallas, hoteliers, shopkeepers, and taxi and auto drivers burdened with bank loans.
She appealed to Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha and the elected government to reopen popular parks such as Chandanwari, Aru, and Beetab Valley in Pahalgam. This, she argued, would encourage tourist visits and help hoteliers and ponywallas regain their livelihoods.
Furthermore, the PDP chief urged the government to cease “harassing” common citizens. “I appeal to the government to stop calling ponywallas to Srinagar or Pahalgam for hearing. Do not do this to them. If you have to fight militants, do that, but do not harass common people. If you harass common people or make them your enemy, then it will not have good consequences,” she warned.
Mufti drew a parallel to the 2016 agitation, recalling how an all-party delegation from New Delhi had approached the Hurriyat leadership, but was rebuffed. “I had said this before to the Government of India that there was a time when leaders from Delhi came to the doors of the Hurriyat, but Hurriyat did not open the doors. Today, the people of Jammu and Kashmir want to lend a hand of friendship towards you, but you should not do what the Hurriyat did that time,” she remarked, referencing the late Syed Ali Shah Geelani’s refusal to meet the delegation during the unrest following Burhan Wani’s killing.
“Do not pull your hand back. Stop these arrests and locking parks. Own up the people here so that they become yours,” Mufti concluded.
