Over 500 tourists from Pune stranded in J&K, many seek immediate return

More than 500 tourists from Pune are currently in Jammu and Kashmir and efforts are underway to arrange special flights for those who wish to return in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack, the district administration said on Wednesday evening.

Speaking to PTI from Srinagar, Girish Naikwadi, a cost accountant with an energy firm here, said his 14-member group has decided to end their tour.

"We are not in a position to continue our trip. We want to return to Pune as soon as possible, especially since we have small children with us," he said.

Naikwadi said his group was in Gulmarg, about 50 km from Srinagar, when the attack took place.

"We somehow reached Srinagar today. Our original plan was to travel to Amritsar on April 25, but after this incident, no one in the group feels like going ahead with the trip," he said, adding that they could secure hotel accommodation in Srinagar only till Wednesday. Another tourist, Harshal Pandit, said he and his family would return to Pune on Thursday. "We are currently in Srinagar, and the situation is tense with heavy security. We had plans to visit Pahalgam today, but had to cancel after the incident," said Pandit, who runs a deaddiction centre in Pune. But some from the city have opted to stay on.

Yashwant Ranaware, a retired professional, said he and his family were en route to Pahalgam when the attack occurred. "As our vehicle was approaching Baisaran valley, our driver noticed something was wrong based on signals from oncoming drivers. He stopped to inquire and informed us about a possible problem. We returned to our hotel and later learnt about the terror attack," he said.

Though they returned to Srinagar, Ranaware said they have not yet decided to abandon their trip. "There is a visible security presence and we will take a decision based on how the situation unfolds," he added. Meanwhile, Pune-based NGO Sarhad, which works for the rehabilitation of Kashmiri youth, is mobilising its resources to help stranded tourists. "Our volunteers in Kashmir are assisting stranded visitors with lodging and logistics," said Sanjay Nahar, founder of Sarhad.

Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation and Pune MP Murlidhar Mohol has said 182 tourists will be brought back to Maharashtra on Thursday by special flights.