Srinagar Airport Jam packed to ferry tourists from valley

The Kashmir Valley is fuelled with uncertainty and is in panic mode after the government, in a security advisory on Friday, suspended the Amarnath yatra and asked tourists to leave  at the earliest fearing a major militant strike. The unprecedented is the latest in a series of government actions in the state. An estimated 11,000 tourists, including yatris and over 200 foreign visitors, are currently in the Valley, as per sources.

The move led to a rush at petrol pumps, grocery shops and ATMs, as people stocked up on supplies. Airlines have waived cancellation charges, tourists are packing up to leave, even the National Institute of Technology in Srinagar issued a notice, citing the district administration, that class work for all courses “stands suspended till further orders”.The order to tourists and yatris is unprecedented. Even at the height of militancy, the Yatra kept its date. This adds to the uncertainty in the Valley.