There is a belief that the Union government, which has asked the security forces not to launch anti-militancy operations during the month of Ramzan, may extend the ceasefire during the two-months long Amarnath yatra, scheduled to begin on 28 June. However, the Centre is expected to take a call on this only after evaluating the impact of the current ceasefire.
The ceasefire of Operation All-out has generated hope for better tourism. “If the entire summer will remain calm, Kashmir will witness a heavy rush of tourists and pilgrims,” said Abdullah, a local tourist guide.
Already, about two lakh pilgrims have registered themselves for the Amarnath yatra, and the officials of the shrine board hope that if there is extension of the ceasefire, they may get more piligrims. The 60-day annual yatra to the shrine of Amarnath from the twin routes of Pahalgam and Sonamarg will start by the end of June, and normally, the security forces are deployed in strength for the protection of yatris.
People from the tourism sector have described the Ramzan ceasefire announcement as “too late”. They are of the view that if the government had announced it earlier, they would have been a healthy rush of tourists to Kashmir. The Centre is closely watching the situation post-ceasefire in the Kashmir valley. The Army and the other security agencies have said that they will not launch any anti-militancy operations, but the intelligence grid will continue to work and collect vital information from ground.