Daijiworld Media Network – Srinagar

Srinagar, May 22: A month after the devastating terror attack in Pahalgam’s Baisaran meadow, locals in South Kashmir are facing a severe livelihood crisis as tourism once the backbone of the region has come to a grinding halt.

On April 22, gunmen believed to be from Pakistan-backed terror outfits opened fire on a group of tourists in the picturesque meadow of Baisaran, killing 26 people, including one Nepali national.

Following the massacre, India launched strong retaliatory measures including expelling Pakistani diplomatic staff, suspending the Indus Waters Treaty, cancelling visas, and launching targeted strikes on nine terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

While the national response to the attack was swift and resolute, the economic aftershocks continue to haunt the residents of Pahalgam. Once bustling with tourists, the region now stands deserted.

“The place looks desolate. We used to have thousands of tourists every day, providing work to shopkeepers, ponywallahs, cab drivers, vendors and hoteliers. Now we have nothing,” said local tour operator Nasir Ahmad. “Even during the 1990s insurgency, it was never this empty,” he added.

Mohammad Irshad, a shopkeeper, echoed similar concerns. “We haven't earned anything in a month. The government must step in soon. We can’t survive like this,” he said.

Though the National Investigation Agency released sketches of three suspected terrorists soon after the attack, those responsible remain at large. A series of search and demolition operations have since been carried out against terrorists and sympathisers affiliated with groups like Jaish-e-Mohammed, Lashkar-e-Taiba and Hizbul Mujahideen.

Despite the crackdown, the lingering fear among visitors and the ongoing manhunt have left the region’s economy in limbo, and its people desperate for relief and reassurance.