Srinagar, Apr 22 — Prime Minister Narendra Modi has cut short his official visit to Saudi Arabia and will return to India tonight following a deadly militant attack in the Baisaran area of Pahalgam that killed 28 tourists, including two foreigners.
According to inputs, the Prime Minister also skipped the official dinner hosted by the Saudi government.
The attack occurred on Monday afternoon when militants opened fire on a group of tourists, injuring at least 35 others.
Described as one of the deadliest assaults on tourists, the incident has triggered widespread outrage and condemnation across political, religious, and civil society circles.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah arrived in Srinagar on Wednesday night, with a large-scale manhunt launched in the region as forces scour the area to trace the attackers.
The fallout from the attack has led to spontaneous shutdown calls across Jammu and Kashmir.
The Private Schools Association of Jammu and Kashmir (PSAJK) announced that all private schools will remain closed on Wednesday in solidarity with the victims.
PSAJK President G. N. Var said the association would also observe a day of mourning and protest, describing the killings as a "cowardly act of violence" against peace and humanity.
Prominent religious and political figures have also joined the chorus of condemnation. Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, through the Mutahida Majlis Ulema (MMU), called for a peaceful shutdown across Kashmir. Citing the Holy Quran, he denounced the killings and said Islam forbids such acts of brutality.
Grand Mufti Nasir-ul-Islam and several other clerics also echoed the call for a bandh.
Political leaders Sajad Gani Lone and Mehbooba Mufti also supported the shutdown.
Lone appealed for silent protests across towns and villages, while Mufti called on all Kashmiris to unite in a show of collective grief and resistance, stating, “This isn’t just an attack on a select few—it is an attack on all of us.”
Trade organizations have followed suit. The Kashmir Traders and Manufacturers Federation (KTMF) announced a complete bandh in Kashmir, with President Mohammad Yaseen Khan calling the attack a blow to the region’s ethos of hospitality and peace.
The All Kashmir Transporters Confederation also backed the shutdown.
In Jammu, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI), led by President Arun Gupta, declared a complete Jammu bandh on April 23.
The bandh has received support from the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), Bajrang Dal, and other groups.
Protest marches erupted in several parts of Jammu on Tuesday evening. Gupta called the attack “a barbaric assault on humanity” and urged citizens to join the bandh as a message of unity.
Authorities have stepped up security across the region, deploying additional police and paramilitary forces in both Jammu and Kashmir to prevent any untoward incident during Wednesday’s protests and shutdowns.