New Delhi:
Jammu and Kashmir is set to reopen for tourists two months after an travel advisory asking tourists to leave the Valley due to "terror threat" issued back in August. The advisory issued to tourists, pilgrims travelling to Jammu and Kashmir was withdrawn by on Thursday. The decision to lift the curb was announced by the governor Satya Pal Malik on Monday following a “situation-cum-security review” meeting with the advisers and the chief secretary.
The security advisory was issued for tourists on August 2 to leave the region just before the move to revoke provisions of Article 370 and end special status of Jammu and Kashmir. Modi government had cancelled the Amarnath Yatra and advised pilgrims and tourists to cut short their stay in the Valley "immediately" in view of the "intelligence inputs of terror threats".
The Jammu and Kashmir administration also released three politicians on October 10 on various grounds which includes signing of a bond, officials said on Wednesday night.
Yawar Mir, Noor Mohammed and Shoaib Lone were set free on Thursday. While Mir is a former MLA of the PDP from Rafiabad assembly seat, Lone contested unsuccessfully on a Congress ticket from North Kashmir and later resigned from the party. He was considered close to People’s Conference chief Sajjad Lone. Mohammed is a National Conference worker who has been managing the party’s show in the militancy-infested Batmaloo area of the Srinagar city.
According to official figures, 1.74 lakh tourists visited Kashmir in June, followed by 1.52 lakh, including 3,403 foreigners, in July.
