NC Chief Farooq Abdullah’s emotional appeal to tourists ahead of Amarnath Yatra: Bholanath is waiting for you

Pahalgam: In an attempt to resume economy and tourism in Jammu and Kashmir after the horrific terrorist attack in Pahalgam on April 22, National Conference (NC) chief Farooq Abdullah on Tuesday made an earnest request to tourists to return to J&K, saying that ‘the region wants peace, not war’.
Expressing grief, the veteran leader condemned the impact of recent terror attacks on livelihoods tied to tourism, especially in Pahalgam, which had to suffer the maximum brunt, ahead of the annual Amarnath Yatra.
The Amarnath Yatra 2025 start date has been officially confirmed as July 3, with the yatra concluding on August 9, coinciding with Raksha Bandhan.
"This year, we expected crores of people to come, and we have no place to accommodate them. But unfortunately, those who killed innocent people did not see what would happen (to taxi drivers, hotel owners, pony owners)... We sell the beauty given by God and earn a living... We are very sad about what happened... Please come back, we are waiting for you (tourists)... 'Bholanath' is also waiting for you as Amarnath Yatra is about to start," the NC chief said.
His remarks came after all-party delegations began visiting key partner countries to reinforce India's global stand against terrorism and promote peace. Operation Sindoor was carried out on May 7 as a strong military reaction to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack carried out by Pakistan-backed terrorists, resulting in the tragic deaths of 26 individuals.

The Indian Armed Forces focused on destroying terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir, successfully eliminating more than 100 terrorists linked to groups such as Jaish-e-Mohammed, Lashkar-e-Taiba, and Hizbul Mujahideen.