Pahalgam:Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on Monday described tourists and Amarnath Yatris as “ambassadors” of Kashmir and urged people to extend warm hospitality to visitors so they can carry the message of Kashmir’s culture and concerns to the rest of the country.
Addressing a gathering in Pahalgam, Mufti said visitors coming to Kashmir as guests should be treated with care and informed about the challenges faced by the people of Jammu and Kashmir. She said that tourists and pilgrims who experience Kashmir’s hospitality firsthand can become ambassadors and help bridge misunderstandings about the region.
Mufti expressed hope that greater interaction between locals and visitors would promote understanding and reduce hatred and Islamophobia. She also said that the hospitality shown by Kashmiris towards Amarnath Yatris reflects the region’s tradition of communal harmony and coexistence.
The former chief minister also called for addressing issues faced by the people of Jammu and Kashmir, including concerns related to PSA and UAPA cases, detention of youth, property seizures, job dismissals, and what she described as an atmosphere of fear in the region.
She further stated that the people of Jammu and Kashmir are capable of ensuring the safety of pilgrims during the annual Amarnath Yatra and said that reducing the presence of security forces in civilian areas would be a positive step.
Her remarks came in Pahalgam ahead of the forthcoming Shri Amarnath Ji Yatra.
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