IIOJK: Restrictions persist even two weeks after Amarnath Yatra ends; business community expresses concern
Srinagar : Even two weeks after the conclusion of the Amarnath Yatra in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, restrictions remain in force at several key commercial and tourist locations in the Islamabad district..
According to Kashmir Media Service, traders and tourism-related stakeholders had expected that restrictions—imposed as part of security measures during the pilgrimage—would be lifted from these areas and routes once the Yatra ended; however, curbs remain in place at many locations.
Consequently, business activities have failed to return to normal, sparking concern among those involved in these sectors.
In Qazigund—often referred to as the “Gateway to Kashmir”—shopkeepers and traders staged a protest against the continued restrictions on several routes leading to the market.
Traders state that the ongoing road closures are hindering customer footfall and causing daily financial losses to their businesses. They demanded that the authorities take immediate steps to restore normal movement.
Meanwhile, restrictions remain in place at several key tourist spots and on connecting roads in and around Pahalgam; access routes to areas such as Chhatta Pul, the Pahalgam-Sallar road, Apple Valley, Baisaran, and other parts of Pahalgam are restricted, thereby hampering tourism activities.
Those associated with the tourism sector state that while limiting access to certain areas for security reasons during the Yatra is understandable, the continuation of these restrictions long after the pilgrimage has concluded is adversely affecting local businesses and tourism.
Transporters, hotel and guesthouse owners, restaurant operators, local guides, and other small business owners are particularly bearing the brunt of these losses.
Local traders and tourism stakeholders have urged the administration to immediately lift unnecessary restrictions and reopen these routes and tourist destinations to the public and tourists alike.
