Srinagar (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], April 24 : A two-minute silence was observed at the beginning of the All-Party Meeting in Srinagar on Thursday to honour the innocent lives lost in the Pahalgam terror attack.
This was a solemn moment of shared grief and determination among the leaders in attendance.
The meeting, convened by Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah at the Sher-i-Kashmir International Conference Centre, brought together leaders from across the political spectrum to deliberate on the path forward in the wake of the April 22 terror attack that shook the region.
Senior PDP leader and former Law Minister Syed Basharat Ahmed Bukhari called the incident "shocking" ahead of the high-level deliberations.
"The incident was shocking. Everyone was grieving yesterday. What can be bigger than humanity? This is just like a punctuation point in a paragraph," Bukhari told ANI.
Several senior leaders, including National Conference President Dr. Farooq Abdullah, attended the meeting, signalling political consensus on the need for a coordinated response to terror threats.
Earlier today, while speaking to the media, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah expressed full support for security forces and stressed the need for accountability and preparedness to prevent future attacks.
He emphasised the role of residents during such attacks, noting that the local people are the first to assist.
"To stop such incidents, those responsible for the security must fulfil their duties. We will stand with them wherever they need us. When such incidents happen, the local people are the first to help," Abdullah said.
He further expressed his confidence in the government's ongoing steps, adding, "The government of India has taken some steps; let's see how it turns out."
Abdullah also pleaded with the people of the country not to be under the impression that Kashmiris are their enemies, expressing his solidarity with the victims of the attack and appealing to the people of the country to refrain from blaming Kashmiris for the incident.