“Tourists are our lifeline… we will not tolerate this”-locals
Pahalgam Terror Attack: J&K Stages ‘Not In My Name’ Protest; Mehbooba Mufti Apologizes
In the wake of yesterday’s horrific terror attack, people across Jammu and Kashmir staged protests on Wednesday, strongly condemning the violence. Locals flooded the streets of cities and villages, carrying banners that read “Not in My Name.”
Demonstrators — including students, traders, and civil society members — organized peaceful marches, candlelight vigils, and sit-ins, emphasizing that such acts of terror do not represent the values of the Kashmiri people.
Srinagar and other parts of the Union Territory observed a complete shutdown on Wednesday. From the capital city to smaller towns, candlelight vigils were held to honour the victims of the Pahalgam attack.
According to PTI, this is the first shutdown in Kashmir since the abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution six years ago.
Prominent figures, including former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, have publicly apologized to the people of the country. She stated that Kashmiris were ashamed of the attack and strongly condemned it, holding a placard that read, “This is an attack on all of us.”
“The attack that happened yesterday is not only an attack on innocent tourists, it is also an attack on Kashmiriyat,” she added while addressing the public and media during a protest condemning the attack on Wednesday.
A local resident told PTI, “Sir, we have suffered a huge loss. We are in great distress. We’ve also lost our jobs. We’ve been completely ruined because of this. Everything is over. Our livelihood is gone too, sir. We just want justice. This should not happen again. That’s all we ask.”
The unified response from the people of Kashmir sends a powerful message against terrorism, underlining their commitment to peace and solidarity with the victims and their families.
Another local said, “Tourists are our lifeline… we will not tolerate this.”
As a mark of respect and solidarity, the Private Schools’ Association of Jammu and Kashmir (PSAJK) announced the closure of all private schools across the region.
The National Conference (NC) also staged a protest in Srinagar, condemning the Pahalgam terror attack. Party spokesperson Imran Nabi Dar told reporters, “This is not just a protest, it is the people’s voice. We will not allow violence to dictate our future. We demand the highest level of inquiry into the killings.”
On Pahalgam terrorist attack, former J&K CM and DPAP President Ghulam Nabi Azad said, "It hurts when such incident happens, irrespective of where it happens. Such kind of attack has happened after long time in J&K. There have been incidents, but of different kind. This attack was not on any religion, though Hindu brothers were killed, a Kashmiri was killed. The way it happened, it was against the Kashmiriyat. First time it happened that religion was asked before the killing, it is against the Kashmiriyat. India divided on the basis of religion, but everybody here rejected two-nation theory on the basis of religion. The fundamental thing about Kashmiriyat is humanity. There have been people of different political ideologies, but subconsciously everybody was secular. This attack is a dent on Kashmiriyat, this time Mosques have condemned and asked people to fight against it" the PTI reported.
The Jammu and Kashmir government has announced ex-gratia relief of rupees 10 lakh for the families of those killed in the attack, rupees 2 lakh for those seriously injured, and rupees 1 lakh for those with minor injuries.
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