Pahalgam terror attack: First batch of 65 stranded Maharashtra tourists returns to Mumbai

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde meets tourists from the state.

In the aftermath of the devastating terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, the first group of stranded tourists from Maharashtra arrived safely in Mumbai in the early hours of Thursday, as per PTI reports. This evacuation is part of a large-scale effort led by Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and the Shiv Sena to bring home those affected by the incident.

A special flight carrying 65 Maharashtrian tourists landed at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport at approximately 3:30 am IST. These individuals had been stranded in Jammu and Kashmir following Tuesday's ghastly terror strike at Baisaran meadow in Pahalgam, which claimed the lives of 26 people, including six from Maharashtra.

Deputy Chief Minister Shinde flew to Srinagar on Wednesday evening to personally oversee and expedite the rescue and return operations. "Following the dreadful terrorist attack in Pahalgam, the first special flight carrying 65 stranded Maharashtrian tourists arrived in Mumbai at 3:30 am on 24 April," a Shiv Sena functionary told PTI.

This marked the beginning of a larger, multi-phase evacuation plan, with two more flights scheduled to bring additional groups of stranded tourists back to Mumbai later in the day. The effort is being described by Shiv Sena representatives as a "coordinated and compassionate mission" aimed at ensuring the "safe, swift, and dignified return of every citizen impacted by this national tragedy".

A dedicated delegation from the Shiv Sena was dispatched to Kashmir earlier this week to assist with logistics, provide support to those affected, and manage coordination on the ground.

"Our top priority remains the safety and well-being of all Maharashtrians stranded in Kashmir. We are working round the clock to make sure that no one is left behind, and every Marathi Manoos returns home safely," the party functionary emphasised.

India on Wednesday announced a series of steps to give a strong message to Pakistan for its support of cross-border terrorism, stating that the Indus Waters Treaty of 1960 will be held in abeyance and the integrated checkpost at Attari will be closed with immediate effect.

Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri addressed a special press conference after a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) and said Pakistani nationals will not be permitted to travel to India under the SAARC visa Exemption scheme.

The CCS meeting, which lasted over two hours, was chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The Cabinet Committee of Security (CCS), which met on Wednesday, was briefed in detail on the terrorist attack in Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir in which 25 Indians and one Nepali citizen were killed.

The CCS condemned the attack in the strongest terms and expressed its deepest condolences to the families of the victims and hoped for the early recovery of the injured. In the briefing to the CCS, the cross-border linkages of the terrorist attack were brought out.

The families of victims of the Pahalgam terror attack mourned the loss of their loved ones as they urged the government to take strong action against the perpetrators of the heinous crime.

The attack, carried out by terrorists at Baisaran meadow in Pahalgam on Tuesday, is one of the deadliest in the Valley since the 2019 Pulwama strike in which 40 CRPF jawans were killed. The attack was one of the biggest terror attacks in the region after the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019.

(With inputs from PTI)