Security personnel patrol on April 24, 2025 at the site of the terrorist attack on tourists in Baisaran near J&K’s Pahalgam. | Photo Credit: Reuters

A day after officials from the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) informed an all-party meeting that police permission was not sought for opening the Baisaran meadow where 26 people were killed by terrorists on April 22, a senior J&K Government official told The Hindu that police authorisation has never been sought for the tourist spot, which is open throughout the year barring snowy months.

The official said that the J&K Police were yet to formally communicate with the Union Territory (UT) administration regarding the permit issue. “The Baisaran meadow has remained open for tourists for years,” the official said. A poster at the gate of the “Picnic Spot” says that it is operated by the Pahalgam Development Authority in Anantnag district, and the cost of an entry ticket is ₹35 per person.

Pahalgam attack updates: April 25, 2025

J&K was demoted from a State to a UT with an Assembly in 2019, after which the first elections were held in 2024. The responsibility for maintenance of law and order, police, and the security grid lies with the Lieutenant Governor’s office and the MHA, while tourism comes under the ambit of the UT’s elected administration.

‘Resorts did not follow security protocol’

Union Home Minister Amit Shah had told MPs at an all-party meeting on Thursday that just under a thousand tourists visited the Baisaran meadow from April 20 to 22. He said that hotel and resort owners in Pahalgam should have been responsible and followed the security protocol before sending the tourists there, MPs who attended the meeting told The Hindu.

An Intelligence Bureau official informed the parliamentarians that the attack is suspected to have been carried out by loose groups of militants belonging to Pakistan-backed terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba and its proxy The Resistance Front (TRF), who are “operating in the higher reaches”.

Mr. Shah said that security forces have detected seven tunnels along the border which were used by the terrorists to infiltrate from Pakistan, and have killed 35 LeT terrorists so far.

The MHA’s presentation said that in the decade between June 2014 and May 2024, there were 1,643 terrorist-initiated incidents. There were 1,925 infiltration attempts and 726 successful infiltrations during this time. As many as 576 security personnel and 1,607 terrorists were killed during the same period.

‘Security only during yatra’

At the meeting, a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) official said that there is no permanent deployment of CRPF personnel in the area where the attack took place. Baisaran meadow is only accessible by foot or pony, and the first responder after Tuesday’s attack was a CRPF official who took an hour to reach the spot and send a report. Other security forces reached the spot after more than one-and-a-half hours, the CRPF official said.

The official added that tourists generally frequent this area during the Amarnath Yatra period, which is set to commence from July 3 and conclude on August 9.

The nearest permanent camp of the Army is 20 km away, the official said, adding that Baisaran is at a high altitude with a backdrop of high hills. It is only during the Amarnath Yatra that the higher reaches are dominated by the security forces.

He said that other similar spots in the region such as Aru and Doodhpathri, which are frequented by Israeli tourists, have now been blocked for tourists, while security forces have been deployed to the places where tourists are still allowed.

Visas revoked

Meanwhile, the Union government has revoked all existing visas issued to Pakistani nationals, except Long Term Visas (LTVs), diplomatic visas, and official visas, with immediate effect from April 27.

Medical visas issued to Pakistani nationals will be valid only till April 29.