The closures affect both popular and lesser-known tourist destinations, including Dooshpathri, Kokernag, Duksum, Sinthan Top, Acchabal, Bangus Valley, Margan Top, and Tosamaidan
Authorities have closed approximately 50 public parks and tourist attractions in Jammu and Kashmir as a precautionary measure following the recent terror attack in Pahalgam that resulted in the deaths of 26 individuals, primarily tourists.
Unnamed officials informed the news agency PTI that 48 out of 87 public parks and gardens in Kashmir have had their gates shut due to tourists perceiving them as unsafe.
The closures affect both popular and lesser-known tourist destinations, including Dooshpathri, Kokernag, Duksum, Sinthan Top, Acchabal, Bangus Valley, Margan Top, and Tosamaidan.
There has been formal government announcement about these closures. But they have locked the gates and denied access to many favored locations.
In several Mughal Gardens in south Kashmir, they have also secured the entrances.
This decision to close tourist sites follows a week after terrorists killed 26 people, mostly tourists. This was at the Baisaran meadows in the Pahalgam resort.
Given that tourism is a vital economic sector in Kashmir, this shutdown represents a considerable setback, both symbolically and financially. Nevertheless, officials maintain that the safety of both residents and visitors is the utmost priority.
The tensions between India and Pakistan, both nuclear-capable neighbors, have escalated following the recent attack. The Pakistan Army persisted in its unprovoked shelling across the Line of Control (LoC) the night of April 28–29. They targeted regions adjacent to the Kupwara and Baramulla districts. Attackers also targeted these areas and the Akhnoor sector, marking the fifth consecutive day of such hostilities.
In response, the Indian Army stated that it reacted to the provocation in a measured and effective manner.
Since the Kashmir attack, both New Delhi and Islamabad have implemented a series of retaliatory measures against one another.
India has suspended the Indus Waters Treaty. It is a significant agreement regarding river-sharing, while Pakistan has restricted its airspace to Indian airlines.
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