Sajid Raina
Srinagar, Apr 23: Peoples Conference Chairman and MLA Handwara, Sajad Gani Lone, on Tuesday described the Pahalgam terror attack—which claimed the lives of 27 tourists and a local—as the deadliest assault witnessed in Kashmir over the past three decades.
Lone, accompanied by scores of party workers, led a protest march in Srinagar against the carnage, with participants chanting slogans such as “Tourist hamari Jaan Hai, Begunahoun ka qatl-e-aam bandh karo!” (Tourists are our life; stop the massacre of innocents!).
Addressing the media, Lone said that the attack struck at the heart of Kashmir’s identity. “The people of Kashmir must realize this is the gravest assault on our nation in 30 years. This is our land; we live here. Tourists come, trusting us—they stay in our hotels, ride in our vehicles, dine at our eateries, and shop in our markets. If an outsider kills our guests at gunpoint, we will never accept it. Today, our entire nation weeps tears of blood. These were our guests, our pride. The way Kashmir has risen in protest today, Insha’Allah, this collective outrage must serve as our answer to the perpetrators,” he said.
Lone said that Kashmiris have sent a resolute message: violence against innocents is intolerable. “We will never allow anyone, at gunpoint or otherwise, to harm our guests—the very people who have sustained our livelihoods for 50, 70, even 80 years. Our identity lies in hospitality. When strangers face crises—be it snowstorms or disasters—we shelter them in our homes. What does today’s massacre convey? The bloodshed was not our doing, but outsiders’. Yet the way our nation has taken to the streets, protesting in every lane and alley, must warn them: this ends now. Our guests are part of us. Whoever targets them targets Kashmir itself,” he said.
Lone condemned the attack as an economic sabotage, accusing the perpetrators of seeking to reduce Kashmir to beggary. “Our religion is sacred; do not kill in its name. Do not taint us with such crimes. Locals risked their lives to save others—proof that Kashmiri humanity still thrives. We owe gratitude to heroes like Syed Adil Hussain Shah, the pony-wala who martyred himself trying to seize the terrorist’s rifle, and those who carried wounded tourists on their backs to safety. They embody Kashmir’s soul. These foreign beasts must know: if our nation unites, their brutality will not recur. They aim to cripple our economy, to force us into begging. We reject this,” said the PC chairman.
Lone added, “This is our land. If outsiders harm our guests with guns, it shames us. Tourists are part of our flesh and blood. No outsider can dictate terms. Only we decide who our guests are—and we will honor and protect them, Insha Allah.”
When asked about media speculation that the attack targeted Hindus to stoke communal tensions, Lone said, “Was my father, Abdul Gani Lone, not a Muslim when they martyred him? Have they not slaughtered nearly ten thousand Kashmiri Muslims? What religion do they preach? They are faithless. Their primary victims were Muslims in the past—eight to ten thousand, by my count. Who are they fooling?”
Reacting to the Pakistani Army Chief’s remark that Kashmir is Pakistan’s “jugular vein,” Lone said, “Pakistan cannot govern itself—how will it handle our land? I repeat: this is our soil. These guests are ours, inseparable from us. No evil eye shall touch them.”
Meanwhile, Lone also confirmed that he has got an invite to take part in the All Party meeting called by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and that he will take part in it.
