May 28, 2025
JAMMU – In a bid to send a powerful message against terrorism in the aftermath of the killing of 26 civilians on 22 April, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday held a special cabinet meeting in Pahalgam, where the terror incident happened.
After the meeting, the Chief Minister posted on X the pictures of his meetings at the Pahalgam club.
Omar wrote on X; “Chaired a Cabinet Meeting at Pahalgam today. It was not just a routine administrative exercise, but a clear message—we are not intimidated by cowardly acts of terror. The enemies of peace will never dictate our resolve. Jammu & Kashmir stands firm, strong, and unafraid”.
More important than the agenda on the table of the cabinet meeting is the significance of the meeting’s symbolic communication to anti-national and anti-social elements that violence has no place in Jammu and Kashmir.
This was the first cabinet meeting held outside the capital cities of Srinagar and Jammu since the Omar Abdullah-headed government took office in October 2024.
Addressing a press conference after the cabinet meeting, Omar said that his government aims to revive tourism gradually and steadily. “Our effort is to gradually revive tourism in Jammu and Kashmir, especially in the Kashmir Valley. I know that the past 5–6 weeks have not been easy for the country, but it is Jammu and Kashmir that has suffered the most. We want to come out of this difficult phase, and for that, the necessary steps will be decided collectively by the Jammu and Kashmir government. I firmly believe that we will receive all the support we need from the central government”, the CM said.
“While we followed the government’s agenda during the meeting, we did not come to Pahalgam merely to carry out administrative or governmental functions. We came here to show that the bloodshed and violence will not derail our agenda for the development, prosperity, and representation of the people of Jammu and Kashmir. Through this meeting, we also want to express our gratitude and salute the people of Kashmir, especially the people of Pahalgam, for their courage, unity, and strong stand against violence after the 22 April attack”, he added.
Omar also met delegates from various walks of life, led by MLA Pahalgam, Altaf Kaloo. “Valuable insights were shared on local issues and aspirations. The support extended by locals to tourists and the administration during the recent unfortunate incident was exemplary and deeply praised”, Omar said.
Omar during his first stint as the chief minister of erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir from 2009-14, had held Cabinet meetings in remote areas like Gurez, Machil, Tangdhar areas of north Kashmir and Rajouri and Poonch areas of Jammu region.
The decision to hold a special Cabinet meeting also comes three days after Omar on Saturday proposed in the Governing Council meeting of the NITI Aayog a dual approach to resuscitate Jammu and Kashmir tourism sector, severely impacted by the Pahalgam terror attack, urging the Centre to mandate PSUs to hold meetings in Kashmir and to convene Parliamentary Committee meetings in the valley.