{"id":88314,"date":"2025-05-14T00:00:40","date_gmt":"2025-05-13T18:30:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.khushalekashmir.com\/?p=88314"},"modified":"2025-05-14T00:00:40","modified_gmt":"2025-05-13T18:30:40","slug":"terror-strike-blow-to-pahalgams-tourism-thousands-lose-livelihoods","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.khushalekashmir.com\/index.php\/2025\/05\/14\/terror-strike-blow-to-pahalgams-tourism-thousands-lose-livelihoods\/","title":{"rendered":"Terror strike blow to Pahalgam\u2019s tourism, thousands lose livelihoods"},"content":{"rendered":"

‘We have no work, no income\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n

Terror strike blow to Pahalgam\u2019s tourism, thousands lose livelihoods<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Pahalgam, May 13 (KNO): The recent terror attack in Pahalgam has dealt a severe blow to the region\u2019s tourism industry, leaving thousands jobless. The once-bustling town now stands eerily deserted, as 5,000 horse operators and around 600 vehicle owners\u2014along with their families\u2014who relied on tourism for their livelihood have been left without work.<\/p>\n

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According to the news agency\u2014Kashmir News Observer (KNO), the scenic town of Pahalgam, once a vibrant hub of tourist activity in Anantnag, now appears abandoned. The serenity of Kashmir\u2019s Baisaran Valley\u2014often called \u2018mini Switzerland\u2019 for its postcard-perfect views\u2014was shattered on April 22, when a terror attack in Pahalgam claimed 26 lives.<\/p>\n

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The attack occurred at the beginning of the tourist season, which runs from April to October\u2014a crucial period for businesses tied to hotels, transport, handicrafts, and local markets. Thousands of residents, whose livelihoods depend on the influx of tourists, are now facing an uncertain future with little to no income and dwindling hope.<\/p>\n

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Speaking to KNO, Abdul Waheed Wani, President of Pony Walla Association, expressed deep concern for the thousands of horse operators now struggling to support their families. \u201cThere are 5,000 horse operators whose families have been affected by the recent terror attack in Pahalgam,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

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He said that Pahalgam\u2019s entire economy depends on tourism, as all 13 villages in the area rely on its natural beauty.<\/p>\n

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\u201cThose who carried out the attack made a grave mistake. We are citizens of this country, and if tourists stop coming here, the attackers’ objective will be achieved. The people responsible for the attack on innocent civilians in Baisaran wanted to disrupt peace. Tourists from across the country should visit and foil the agenda of such elements. The livelihoods of photographers, hoteliers, drivers, and pony wallas have all been affected,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

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Gulzar Ahmad, President of Sumo Stand Pahalgam, said that over 600 vehicle owners who provide transportation services to tourists have also lost their source of income. \u201cIn my union, there are around 600 vehicles that support the livelihoods of nearly 60,000 family members. Pahalgam\u2019s entire economy revolves around tourism. Without tourists, we have no work, no income. People are in distress,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

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He further said that Pahalgam has always remained peaceful, which may have angered the enemies of peace.<\/p>\n

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\u201cPahalgam was shining like a star, and now the whole area has been plunged into darkness. The government should take steps to revive tourism in the Kashmir Valley,\u201d he added\u2014(KNO)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

‘We have no work, no income’ Terror strike blow to Pahalgam’s tourism, thousands lose livelihoods     Pahalgam, May 13 (KNO): The recent terror attack in Pahalgam has dealt a severe blow to the region’s tourism industry, leaving thousands jobless. The once-bustling town now stands eerily deserted, as 5,000 horse operators and around 600 vehicle […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":88315,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-88314","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-jammu"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.khushalekashmir.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/88314","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.khushalekashmir.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.khushalekashmir.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.khushalekashmir.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.khushalekashmir.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=88314"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.khushalekashmir.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/88314\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":88317,"href":"https:\/\/www.khushalekashmir.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/88314\/revisions\/88317"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.khushalekashmir.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/88315"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.khushalekashmir.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=88314"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.khushalekashmir.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=88314"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.khushalekashmir.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=88314"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}