Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah arrived at Gulmarg Club today to chair a high-level government meeting focused on reviewing developmental initiatives across the union territory.
Welcoming the Chief Minister’s decision to hold the meeting in Gulmarg, MLA Pirzada Farooq Ahmed Shah said the move sends a strong and positive message across the country about Jammu and Kashmir’s stability and hospitality.
Speaking to news agency, Shah said, “I am very grateful to the Chief Minister that he chose Gulmarg for the meeting. The Chief Minister will review the development work in Jammu and Kashmir. We welcome tourists to Jammu and Kashmir. Gulmarg has always welcomed tourists… A positive message will go across the country.”
Meanwhile, on Tuesday, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah met with prominent tour and travel operators from Maharashtra and Gujarat at a hotel here to revive tourism in Jammu and Kashmir, which was severely affected following the Pahalgam terror attack.
The meeting, attended by nearly 60 tour operators from Maharashtra and Gujarat, aimed to build confidence among stakeholders and signal that Kashmir is open and ready to welcome tourists.
Speaking to the media after the meeting, the CM said, “We were not even expecting them to turn up. They have all come here on their own. I can’t claim that the J&K Government brought them here. They came here on their own. Around 60 prominent tour operators from Maharashtra and Gujarat have come here. They have come here to boost the morale of the people of Kashmir and tell them that tourism should be revived here, and they will help us in the same.”
Abdullah reached the venue riding a bicycle in a gesture to promote eco-friendly travel. He posted a picture on X and wrote, “Took advantage of being in Pahalgam to cycle around town for a little while this evening.”
Apart from this, he also talked about constructing a memorial in Baisaran for the Pahalgam terror attack. “… We have been saying since the beginning that we will make a memorial in Baisaran, Pahalgam, in the memory of those 26 people. We will never forget it… This was decided in the cabinet meeting, which was held in Pahalgam a few hours ago. The PWD has been authorised to give official approval. We will take suggestions from the people on how the memorial should be so that we can have a tasteful memorial for those 26 people,” he said.
Jammu and Kashmir Cabinet held its meeting in Pahalgam, Omar Abdullah said it was a “clear message” to terrorists that “enemies of peace will never dictate our resolve.”
The cabinet meeting was held over a month after the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, in which 26 people, including one Nepali national, were brutally killed by terrorists.
The Chief Minister said that the Cabinet also discussed tourism in the valley, as it is a big source of revenue for locals in Pahalgam. CM Abdullah said that a group of tour operators from Maharashtra are also in Pahalgam and will also be visiting Srinagar.