 "Schools shut, streets deserted.. What Kashmir looks like a day after the Pahalgam terror attack")
The echoes of tragedy are reverberating across Kashmir. A day after the brutal terror attack in Pahalgam that left at least 26 dead, including two foreign nationals, and 11 others injured, the valley has come to a standstill in a unified show of mourning and protest.
The attack, which occurred Tuesday afternoon in the Baisaran Valley, a well-known tourist destination near Pahalgam, saw heavily armed terrorists open indiscriminate firing on a group of tourists. Most of the victims were visitors from various parts of India, with families and children.
In the wake of the attack, condemnation has poured in from across the political spectrum and the public in the valley. Leaders, locals, and civil society have united in denouncing the violence and have called for a ‘Kashmir Bandh’ to express solidarity with the victims.
Catch all the live updates from the Pahalgam terror attack here
Meanwhile, Union Home Minister Amit Shah reached Pahalgam on Wednesday to assess the situation firsthand. PM Narendra Modi, who was on an official visit to Saudi Arabia, also cut his trip short and returned to India to chair a high-level cabinet meeting in the aftermath of the carnage.
Here’s what is happening a day after the deadly assault.
Valley observes a ‘Kashmir Bandh’
For the first time in 35 years, Kashmir observed a complete shutdown in response to a terrorist attack.
The shutdown, widely termed the ‘Kashmir Bandh’ and ‘Jammu Bandh’, wasn’t limited to political circles. It was a joint call backed by business chambers, trade associations, transport unions, student groups, restaurant owners, and civil society organisations. Even rival political parties, including the National Conference, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and Apni Party, stood together in rare unanimity.
Leading the protest were groups like the Chamber of Commerce and Industries Kashmir (CCIK) and the Jammu and Kashmir Hoteliers Club (JKHC), who urged citizens to pause their daily routines as a mark of respect to the victims.
“This is not just a tragedy — it’s a wake-up call,” said Iqbal Tramboo, a prominent hotelier from Srinagar, speaking to Deccan Herald. “An attack on tourists is unprecedented and deeply disturbing. We must speak with one voice to condemn this violence and show that Kashmiris reject terror in all forms.”
Protest demonstrations and candlelight vigils were also held in several districts of the valley, including Rajouri, Kathua, Ramban, and Reasi, with slogans condemning terrorism and affirming solidarity with the victims.
#WATCH | Gulzar Ahmad Wani, president of Pahalgam Taxi Association, says, "I condemn this attack. It is not just tourists, but our livelihood, our families. We don't consider them tourists. It is as if our family members have been killed. I request the government to get to the… https://t.co/rTrToTW5JH pic.twitter.com/8vyTvbycCB
— ANI (@ANI) April 23, 2025
Former Chief Minister and PDP president Mehbooba Mufti also expressed deep anguish over the incident and backed the bandh. “A united stand against violence is the need of the hour,” she said, urging all communities to come together in solidarity.
The ruling National Conference echoed the sentiment, calling on people to ensure the bandh was a “complete success” and to stand firm in condemning the Pahalgam terror attack. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah labelled the incident an “abomination” and extended condolences to the families affected.
Schools shut, exams cancelled
In the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack, all schools across Kashmir shut their gates on Wednesday as a mark of protest, reported News18.
The Jammu-Kashmir Students Association (JKSA) has termed the attack an “assault on the very soul of Jammu and Kashmir” and backed the Kashmir Bandh.
Jammu University cancelled all academic work and postponed its exams for the day. Kashmir University did the same, announcing that new dates would be shared soon.
Local newspapers turn front pages black
In a striking show of grief and resistance, leading newspapers in Kashmir turned their front pages completely black on Wednesday, mourning the lives lost and protesting against the brutality of the attack.
Major English and Urdu dailies such as Greater Kashmir, Rising Kashmir, Kashmir Uzma, Aftab, and Tameel Irshad replaced traditional front-page layouts with black backgrounds, using only stark white or blood-red fonts to convey the horror of the tragedy.
STORY | Kashmir newspapers print front page black to protest Pahalgam terror attack
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) April 23, 2025
READ: https://t.co/P4gnlGiPkx pic.twitter.com/ISoX7egQjc
“Gruesome: Kashmir Gutted, Kashmiris Grieving,” read the cover headline of Greater Kashmir, followed by a chilling red subhead: “26 killed in deadly terror attack in Pahalgam.”
Rising Kashmir opted for a similarly haunting presentation. Its front page read, “Terror strikes Pahalgam,” with the letter ‘O’ in ‘Terror’ designed to resemble a red gunshot wound.
The coordinated editorial blackout served as a collective cry of anguish and a call for accountability. Other papers carried similar messages, lamenting what they expressed as one of the darkest days in recent memory for the Valley.
With input from agencies
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