Srinagar, May 27 (IANS) After chairing the symbolic special cabinet meeting in Pahalgam, J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday posted a few mesmerising pictures where the April 22 terror attack took place, killing 25 tourists, including a civilian.

Sitting by the bank of the Lidder stream that passes through Pahalgam, Omar Abdullah posted pictures of the crystal clear waters of Lidder against the background of the majestic landscape.

“In Pahalgam to chair a cabinet meeting. We came to express solidarity with the local population. We’ve also come to thank all the tourists who are slowly making their way back to Kashmir & to Pahalgam,” the Chief Minister posted on X.

During the special cabinet meeting, arrangements for the forthcoming Amarnath Yatra and the revival of tourism in Pahalgam and elsewhere in Kashmir were discussed.

Omar Abdullah also met groups of people from different walks of life, led by MLA Pahalgam, Altaf Kaloo. Valuable insights were shared on local issues and aspirations. The support extended by locals to tourists and the administration during the recent unfortunate incident was exemplary and deeply praised by the government.

Commenting on Tuesday’s cabinet meeting, the Chief Minister said, “It was not just a routine administrative exercise, but a clear message — we are not intimidated by cowardly acts of terror. The enemies of peace will never dictate our resolve. Jammu & Kashmir stands firm, strong, and unafraid.”

The Jammu and Kashmir government on Tuesday held a special cabinet meeting in Pahalgam to convey a powerful message against terrorism and violence.

The choice of the station was to express solidarity with the residents of the tourist town, which has experienced a sharp decline in footfall since the terror attack on April 22.

More important than the agenda on the table of the cabinet meeting was the significance of the meeting’s symbolic communication to anti-national and anti-social elements that violence has no place in Jammu and Kashmir.

This was the first cabinet meeting being held outside the capital cities of Srinagar and Jammu since the Omar Abdullah-headed government took office in October 2024.

The decision to hold a special cabinet meeting comes two days after Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Saturday proposed a dual approach to resuscitate the Jammu and Kashmir tourism sector, severely impacted by the Pahalgam terror attack, urging the Centre to mandate PSUs to hold meetings in Kashmir and to convene parliamentary committee meetings there.

–IANS

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