Pahalgam Wears Deserted Look Amid Tourist Exodus

Except forces' movement, shops & restaurants, earlier brimming with visitors, remain shut

- FAYAZ WANI @ Srinagar

JAMMU and Kashmir's favourite Pahalgam tourist resort, which was abuzz with visitors and tourism-related activities, now wears a deserted look after Tuesday's terror attack that left at least 26 people, including a local, dead. The hoteliers and dhabawalas, who had no time to take lunch or dinner while catering to the huge rush of tourists, are now staring at a dark future as the fear-stricken tourists continue to leave the Valley in hordes.

Pahalgam, a much-sought-after tourist destination, looked like a ghost town on Thursday, with only security forces' movement and occasional plying of private vehicles and cabs. All shops and restaurants, which used to be brimming with tourists, remained closed.