Srinagar, April 19 (IANS) Ahead of the anniversary of the Pahalgam terror attack, security across the Kashmir Valley was tightened on Sunday, with special focus on places of tourist interest.

Pakistan-backed Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorists killed 26 innocent civilians, including 25 tourists and a local pony owner, on April 22 last year in Baisaran meadow of Pahalgam.

Intelligence sources said that all security forces have been directed to heighten vigil around April 22, especially at places of tourist interest, to ensure that subversive elements are kept at bay.

IGP, Kashmir Zone, V.K. Birdi, held a detailed meeting of police and other security forces at the Police Control Room (PCR) in Srinagar to review the security situation ahead of the Pahalgam terror attack anniversary.

Preparatory meetings to devise a foolproof security plan were held at the ground level, while senior officers recently reviewed these arrangements.

The terror attack brought India and Pakistan to the brink of armed conflict, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave a free hand to the armed forces to avenge the Pahalgam terror attack.

During ‘Operation Sindoor’, the Indian armed forces carried out specific strikes on terror infrastructure deep inside Pakistan without crossing the border. The strikes were carried out at terror infrastructure in Muridke near Lahore, Bahawalpur, and in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).

The situation escalated as the Pakistan Army targeted civilian and army facilities in Jammu and Kashmir.

The worst hit by Pakistan’s escalation was Poonch town of Jammu division, in which 14 civilians were killed, including a senior civil servant.

India retaliated by destroying 18 defence installations in Pakistan, including some of its army airfields.

The authorities in Jammu and Kashmir had closed 50 tourist spots to prevent a recurrence of the Pahalgam terror attack. These tourist destinations were gradually re-opened.

Tourism was booming in Kashmir before April 22 last year, and the Pahalgam terror attack dealt a very serious blow to the tourism industry, adversely affecting the livelihood of thousands of Kashmiris connected directly or indirectly with it.

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah took up the challenge of re-establishing the confidence of tourists by holding a Cabinet meeting in Pahalgam. In addition, he went on a long bicycle ride in Pahalgam to convey a firm message to outsiders that the place was safe for visitors.

Several other measures have been introduced in Pahalgam to ensure tourist safety. These include antecedent verification of service providers and vendors, including ponywallahs, before they interact with visitors. A unique QR code-based identification system has been introduced for all tourism service providers to enhance tourist safety in Pahalgam. The system enables easy identification and verification of genuine and registered service providers, including pony ride operators, hawkers, business establishments, as well as outside vendors.

QR codes have been introduced for tourists to verify the antecedents of service providers. When tourists scan the code with their mobile phones, they can check complete information about the concerned person. The QR codes contain the service provider’s name, parentage, detailed address, mobile number, Aadhaar number, registration number, operational route, and whether they are police-verified.

Pahalgam is today again witnessing a surge in tourists, and the tragedy of April 22 has become history that hopefully will never be repeated, given the alertness of the Jammu and Kashmir Police, security forces, and the army.

Tourists have expressed complete faith in the goodwill of the local people, and the condemnation of the Pahalgam attack was spontaneous and widespread in Jammu and Kashmir.

The best tribute to the innocent civilians killed in the Pahalgam attack came not only through the elimination of the LeT terrorists responsible for that dastardly attack during ‘Operation Mahadev’ last year, but also through the overwhelming gloom and grief that engulfed every Kashmiri household on April 22.

–IANS

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