Leaders across party lines pay homage to victims of Pahalgam attack on first anniversary

SRINAGAR/JAMMU: Political parties cutting across party lines on Wednesday paid tributes to the 26 people who were gunned down by Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorists in Pahalgam last year, saying the attack is a wound whose scar will never truly heal.

"The tragic incident not only saddened our hearts, but brought tears to our eyes. It brought grief to every Kashmiri," ruling National Conference (NC) state spokesperson Imran Nabi Dar said on the first anniversary of the attack.

He, however, said Kashmiris stood united and condemned the attack.

"A united message came from the people that the entire Kashmir was in grief. People came out everywhere, candlelight marches happened, and this gruesome attack was unanimously condemned by everyone," he said, adding that the attack had a damaging effect on the Union territory's economy.

The NC spokesperson expressed hope that such an attack should not happen again and that security agencies augment their defences across the valley, especially at the tourist spots.

J&K Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) president Tariiq Hameed Karra, while paying tribute to the victims, said the remembrance of the attack is accompanied by a "continuing sense of anguish".

"The promise of democracy appears diminished when institutions lack meaningful authority, and when citizens continue to live under the shadow of recurring security concerns. There is a growing perception that governance is becoming reactive rather than anticipatory," he said.

The Congress leader said, "equally concerning is the persistence" of political approaches that "overlook" the contributions, sacrifices, and legitimacy of mainstream democratic voices within J-K, "thereby widening the distance between the state and its people".

"At such a juncture, statesmanship demands reflection, course correction, and above all, a willingness to listen, understand, and act in the larger national interest," he added.

Meanwhile, J&K BJP took out a rally in Anantnag district, in south Kashmir, to commemorate the day as a "black day".

"Today marks the one year of the horrific carnage. We pay our tribute to the martyrs and stand with their families. Modi showed Pakistan that if it does anything, we will strike inside their homes," BJP leader and former MLC Sofi Yusuf told reporters.

J&K BJP president and MP Sat Sharma said that the entire nation was remembering those who laid down their lives.

“We have gathered along with party workers and the general public to pay tribute to those martyrs who sacrificed their lives for society. India has made it clear that while we do not strike first, we know how to defend ourselves when needed,” he said in Jammu.