No Ceasefire Violation, Damage Being Assessed, Focus on Amarnath Yatra”: Omar Abdullah

Srinagar, May 17  : Jammu and Kashmir’s Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Saturday said that the ceasefire along the border and Line of Control in Aloshi is currently holding, with no reports of any violation. He added that authorities are assessing the damage caused earlier and compensation packages will be prepared once the reports are finalized.

Accoridng to Kashmir News Service (KNS), CM said the state government will address the damage as much as it can independently and will seek help from the central government if necessary.

When asked about the Parliamentary delegations visiting foreign countries regarding Operation Sindhur, Omar said such initiatives had also taken place during Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s tenure after the Parliament attack. He noted that this remains a matter for the Government of India and the Ministry of External Affairs.

On the issue of ceasefire extension, he remarked that as long as peace prevails without shelling or blasts, it is a welcome situation. “We want there to be peace,” he added.

Speaking about the tourism sector, Omar Abdullah admitted that tourism has been badly affected this summer. “We hardly have any tourists coming,” he said, adding that the administration’s current focus is to ensure a safe and incident-free Amarnath Yatra, after which they will work on plans to revive the tourism sector.

Questions related to talks with Pakistan were deferred by him, stating they fall under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of External Affairs.(KNS