‘Kashmir tourist numbers not normalcy indicators’

Srinagar: National Conference (NC) vice president Omar Abdullah on Monday said tourism should not be linked to the security situation in Kashmir as tourist arrivals are not the right barometer of normalcy and this makes tourists a target.

The situation in the Valley is “not normal”, Abdullah told reporters after visiting polling booths in Budgam.

The NC leader is contesting the Lok Sabha polls from Baramulla, where voting is underway.

“We have been saying that the situation (in Kashmir) is not normal. The militants have proved repeatedly that they can attack whenever they want to. Unfortunately, a politician, an ex-sarpanch of the BJP, lost his life and two tourists were injured (in terrorist attacks),” the NC leader said, referring to Saturday’s twin attacks in Shopian and Anantnag.

“I appeal to the government to talk less about normalcy because the situation is not normal and also talk less about tourism being an indicator of normalcy because when they link normalcy with tourism, they put tourists in danger,” he said.

Terrorists struck at two places in Kashmir on Saturday night, killing former sarpanch Aijaz Sheikh in Shopian’s Hirpora and injuring a tourist couple, Farha and her husband Tabrez, from Rajasthan in Anantnag.