In Pahalgam Terror Attack's Aftermath, Questions on Security

A hail of bullets spilt blood in the bustling Baisaran meadow in South Kashmir라이브 바카라 Anantnag district on April 22. When the sound of gunshots rang out, terrified people, many of them tourists, scurried down the nearly three-km track that would take them from Baisaran to Pahalgam market. As word about the terrorist attack spread, shopkeepers in Pahalgam downed their shutters, eateries closed. Restaurant owners offered free meals to panicky tourists and arranged vehicles so they could reach safer destinations elsewhere in Kashmir or head back home.

The next day, 26 coffins had to be readied. In one of the deadliest terrorist attacks in Jammu and Kashmir, 24 tourists, one Nepali citizen and a Kashmiri, who used to work as a pony ride operator at Baisaran meadow, were killed and several others were injured. Though security agencies initially held The Resistance Front (TRF)—an offshoot of the banned Pakistan-based terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT)—responsible for the attack, TRF later denied any role in it. Most of the survivors of the April 22 attack and many local Kashmiris told the media that the Baisaran meadow was unmanned when the heavily armed terrorists struck. The now infamous scenic spot, which reportedly receives 2,000 to 3,000 visitors daily, did not have any security personnel guarding it. The meadow, accessible only by pony or on foot, is two and a half hours away from a motorable road. It can be reached via a serpentine trek route, which spans muddy roads, small streams, dense forest and an army camp. It is also important to note that the meadow is located on the iconic route of the Amarnath Yatra, which starts on July 3 this year.

A Multi-layered Security Lapse

Security experts point out that the attack on civilians at Baisaran seems to be a serious and multi-layered security lapse. The security apparatus had mistakenly believed that there was “no militant presence” there and presumed that militants “would not attack tourists”.

On the day the gunshots rang out, 55-year-old Abdul Majeed Awan라이브 바카라 family, who live along the edges of the track leading to the Baisaran meadow, had no idea why people were running away at first. Awan라이브 바카라 daughter, Mumtaz Akhtar, studies at KVK school.

“After our teachers came to know about the firing incident near our house, they closed it down,” she said. Akhtar helped out some of the tourists, offering them water to drink. “It was a massive crowd. Everybody was scared and running away,” she remembers.

Tourist Exodus After Pahalgam Attack

As tourists began to check out of Pahalgam hotels in droves, personnel from the J&K police and nearby units of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and the Army encircled Baisaran and launched a cordon-and-search operation (CASO) in the area. A security official who was part of the CASO said that around 15,000 troops were engaged in the operation to track down the terrorists. On April 24, by 9.30 am, not a single armed force personnel could be spotted at the meadow. An IAF MI-17 chopper hovered over the clear skies at Baisaran. By 10 am, a contingent of paramilitary force personnel arrived at the scene and later, there were two choppers on a reconnaissance mission as well. Led by a lady officer, the team soon closed the iron gate of the meadow, barring entry to all. A security official who was part of the team said that they have been maintaining a round-the-clock cordon around the site and some companies of security forces remained stationed in the adjoining forests, conducting searches for the terrorists responsible for the attack.

Inside the fenced area of the Baisaran meadow lay abandoned family photo albums, empty water bottles and utensils and trash-filled bins: stark reminders of the melee unleashed by the gunfire. A few broken chairs were scattered next to the plastic boards that announced the kind of food served to visitors at the eateries. Boards like ‘Shastri Dhaba’, ‘Baisaran Dhaba’ and ‘Welcome to Baisaran’ were still intact.

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The Victims Of Pahalgam Attack

While some tourists left Pahalgam safely, others like Dr Nayanthara from Chennai and Vino Bhau, a resident of Gujarat, were not so lucky. Inside the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the Government Medical College and Associated Hospital (GMCH) in Anantnag, Dr Nayanthara had a hard time attending to her husband, Dr Parmeswaran. Her eyes welled up as she recalled how her husband received bullet wounds on his body at Baisaran meadow. She said that after the terrorists shot him, he was shifted to GMCH from the civil hospital in Pahalgam.

The injured underwent treatment at several hospitals across Kashmir. Minister for Health and Medical Education, Sakina Itoo, said, “We ensured that the tourists received specialised treatment and one was airlifted from Pahalgam to SKIMS Soura.” She visited hospitals in Anantnag to assess the condition of the injured. J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said that the injured were being given the best possible medical treatment and announced that the state government will provide Rs 10 lakh each to the families of those who lost their lives in the attack; two lakh rupees for serious injuries; and one lakh rupees for minor injuries.

After the terrorist attack, the J&K police imposed restrictions in several parts of Kashmir to restrict the movement of people. For 48 hours after the attack and until Home Minister Amit Shah, who had flown to Srinagar from Delhi to review the security situation, went back to the national capital, the authorities restricted the movement of tourists and non-locals in south Kashmir, particularly along the Jammu-Srinagar national highway.

Indian Forces Fighting Back

For As the authorities reviewed measures related to healthcare and the impact of the attack on the tourism industry in Jammu and Kashmir, the security top brass went into a huddle with Home Minister Amit Shah. On April 25, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha asked Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi to take effective steps to intensify efforts to crush the terror infrastructure in Kashmir. According to officials, the LG told the Army Chief that those directly behind the attack and others who extended support must be “hunted down” and must pay a heavy price. On April 26, police teams fanned across Srinagar and detained several youths for allegedly supporting the terrorists.

A police spokesperson said that they conducted searches at multiple locations across Srinagar city at the residences of over ground workers (OGWs) and militants’ associates. Searches were conducted at the residences of 65 youth, said a senior police official, adding that several of them have been placed under preventive detention while some are in “judicial custody”.

“The searches were conducted in accordance with proper legal procedures in the presence of executive magistrates and independent witnesses under the supervision of the officers of the J&K Police,” said a police spokesperson. “They were carried out to seize weapons, documents, and digital devices with the objective of evidence collection and intelligence gathering,” he added. In the wake of the attack, security forces also demolished the houses of suspected terrorists, including a Kashmiri youth, Adil Hussain Thoker, who is said to be a key figure behind the attack. Three other houses in the congested neighbourhood of Adil라이브 바카라 home in South Kashmir라이브 바카라 Bijbehara suffered damage when the security forces blew up the house of an alleged LeT terrorist on the night of April 24. Several houses were damaged in other parts of Kashmir as well when the security forces demolished the houses of suspected militants.

Arabia Nazir, cousin of Asif Shiekh, another militant whose house was razed, said that their home was destroyed even though the family had not been in touch with Asif since they learnt that he had joined the militants’ ranks three years ago. His sister, Yasmeena Akhtar, said that their family members were questioned about whether they were in touch with him. Adil라이브 바카라 mother, Shahzada Bano (50), broke down at the sight of her home. “I want to eat; I want to sleep. But now I am running from house to house,” she said, tears streaming down her cheeks.

Back in 2014, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, then an aspiring prime ministerial candidate, had raised crucial questions on the security scenario of Kashmir during his campaign, demanding answers from the then ruling UPA government. “How did terrorists manage to sneak in through the borders, get access to arms and funds, and why this ‘inability’ to intercept communication between terrorists and their handlers?” he asked. “Why is it that all borders are under the central government control, but terrorists still manage to come into India?”

In the aftermath of the horrific attack in Pahalgam, these questions rise again, demanding urgent answers, but the difference is that very few people seem to be asking them.

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Questions On security At Basiran

The edges of Baisaran border forests and connect Amarnath and Aru Valley on one side and Kokernag, bordering the restive Doda-Kishtwar, on the other; the third side leads to Anantnag town. During the last few years, Pir Panjal and Chenab Valley have emerged as the new hotspots of terror in Jammu and Kashmir. The mountain makes criss-crossing of militants between the two regions possible. The Army라이브 바카라 3RR operates in the area, with the CRPF and the J&K police operating in the more populous regions. Since the abrogation of Article 370 and the subsequent downgrading of the state into a Union Territory, the central government has been managing the area라이브 바카라 security.

Security experts who have served in the area for years calls the attack a “major lapse in security”. Former Director General of Police (DGP) S.P. Vaid said, “It was a major security lapse. Adequate security arrangements should have been put in place at the venue. It is an intelligence failure as well.”

Initially hesitant to raise questions over the security lapse at Baisaran, local Kashmiri politicians—both in the government and in the Opposition, including the People라이브 바카라 Democratic Party (PDP)—are now beginning to speak up. They have questioned how 26 people could be shot dead in a highly militarised region, especially ahead of the upcoming and popular Amarnath Yatra.

In an all-party meeting held in New Delhi on April 24, the critical issue of lack of security personnel at the terror attack site was also discussed in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

The area in and around Pahalgam has witnessed massive security deployment during the Amarnath Yatra; however, Baisaran seems to have been always off the radar. The local administration and security forces are said to have become complacent because tourists were rarely attacked, so no security arrangements were made specifically for them. Bashir Khan, Accounts Officer, Pahalgam Development Authority (PDA), says that Baisaran Valley remains open throughout the year except when it is snowbound for a few winter months. Last year, Baisaran was closed for two months during the Amarnath Yatra, but there was no directive to keep it closed. “On April 12, 2024, we outsourced the maintenance of the meadow to a contractor for Rs 3 crore for three years,” says Khan. “I have also been there twice but never saw any security, neither inside, nor on the way, nor outside. No special permission was required to visit the spot; tour operators register themselves, but they don’t need any special permission.”

A senior official said that the area used to be peaceful even during shutdowns in other places. The popular haunt does not have a medical or disaster management team, which is a requirement for all tourist spots.

What Happened During The Pahalgam Attack?

According to reports, on the day of the attack at Baisaran meadow, it was a distress call by a woman whose husband was shot dead by the terrorists that alerted the police.While the J&K police were the first to reach the spot, the locals and the ponywallahs were the first to respond and to help evacuate the tourists after the attack. The dirt track from Baisaran meadow to Pahalgam was unguarded. The nearest CRPF camp was almost five km away, and according to local accounts, the CRPF took about an hour to reach the spot. A senior security official said the terrorists had come in groups of five to six. “While others entered the area, one stood guard at the entrance. The killing was execution style. Most people were shot in the head,” he added.

According to a former official working in the PDA, the area remained accessible to tourists every year except during winters. The security forces had closed the area to tourists last year during the period of the Amarnath Yatra, but “since there was no written order that the place has to be shut year-round, there was no need to revoke the order or seek fresh permission,” he said. The local area tour guides, ponywallahs, and even the tour operators in Srinagar said that tourists have been visiting Baisaran every day this season, and no permit was ever needed.

A signboard installed at the entrance by the PDA lists the entry fee as Rs 35, showing that the administration was fully aware of the tourist influx in the meadow. “The collection fee is outsourced by an auction every year, and this year, the bid had crossed Rs 3 crore,” the official said. Earlier falling under the Department of Forests, it was handed over to the PDA. During the chief ministerial tenure of Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, it was handed over to the Tourism Department for development as a tourism spot.

What has also compounded the situation is that the concerned authority is without supervisory control. About a month ago, the government transferred the Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC), Anantnag, Ilyas Ahmad, who was holding the additional charge of Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the PDA. He is now awaiting posting in the General Administration Department (GAD). What worsens the quagmire is the fact that no patrolling of the area was done by the Army, which is under the jurisdiction of the RR camp at Lidroo, located just 25-30 minutes away. The commanding officer of the unit in charge of the area was replaced by a new officer three months ago.

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As a slew of questions about the attack comes to the fore, the Opposition is now asserting that the Centre and the security agencies failed to assess the level of threat. While Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi said that “the intelligence failure and security lapse” need to be investigated, the National Conference (NC) is also calling for a probe. NC Chief Spokesperson Tanvir Sadiq said that his party did not raise the “security lapse” question in the first few days after the Pahalgam attack as the nation was in mourning. “This is an attack on humanity,” he said. “We feel the country needs to put all its resources in one place and hunt down those responsible for the savages who have killed innocent people in Pahalgam. While this is very important, there is also the fact that it may be a security lapse. The country라이브 바카라 top leadership must ensure the buck stops somewhere.” He added that “this seems to be the only area where there is no security. It has to be investigated, and heads need to roll for such a huge security lapse.”

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Security forces in Jammu and Kashmir are on high alert in the wake of the attack. Inspector General of Police Kashmir V.K. Birdi said that the police have detained and questioned 1,900 people across Kashmir as of date. The houses of at least nine suspected terrorists have been blown up in South and North Kashmir and more demolitions may follow.

With Indo-Pak tensions escalating in the wake of the Pahalgam attack and accusations and denials clouding the air, the forces of both countries have exchanged fire at the Line of Control (LOC). The United Nations has cautioned the two neighbours to use “maximum restraint” in order to avoid a larger military escalation.

Meanwhile, Pahalgam town wears a deserted look. An eerie quiet haunts the once busy streets. Most of the hotels and restaurants are empty, and hotel owners and staff stare at the grim prospect of loss of work. Maqbool Khan (30), a friend of Syed Adil, the ponywallah who lost his life in the attack at Baisaran, said that “loss of work could last for a long time and it라이브 바카라 unlikely that tourists would return to Pahalgam any time soon.” Sabzar Ahmad Dar, a local restaurateur in the Yanner area of Pahalgam, said that the attack happened at the peak of the tourism season. “The hotels were having 100 per cent business,” said Dar, pointing towards his shuttered restaurant.

Syed Adil라이브 바카라 father, Syed Hyder Shah, recalled how he had lost contact with his son on April 22 as repeated calls to Adil라이브 바카라 mobile phone went unanswered after he was shot dead by the terrorists. “My son earned about Rs 300 to 400 daily as a horseman. We have lost a breadwinner in the family,” said a teary Hyder Shah. The livelihoods of many in Kashmir are at stake. From the Hapatnad area in Anantnag, about 200 young men would travel daily to Pahalgam to work as horsemen. Their daily earnings used to be about Rs 500-700, but now, with the tourists gone and the prevailing uncertainty about their return, they have no means to sustain themselves and their families.

Toufiq Rashid is deputy managing editor-digital, 바카라. She is based in New Delhi

Ishfaq Naseem is Senior Special Correspondent, 바카라. He is based in Srinagar.

This article is part of 바카라라이브 바카라 May 11, 2025 issue, covering the Pahalgam terror attack and the old wounds it has reopened. It appeared in print as ‘Sadly, It Is Guns Again’.