Pahalgam Terror Strike: Govt Flags Breach of Protocol, Tourists Entered Meadow Without Police Permission

An all-party meeting held on Thursday, following the Pahalgam terror attack, saw unanimous support for the Centre in its fight against terrorism, Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju confirmed. Officials revealed that there was no police clearance for tourists visiting the Baisaran meadow, the site where the attack occurred, claiming 26 lives on Tuesday. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh chaired the two-hour-long meeting.

Rijiju shared that Singh briefed the leaders about the government's actions in response to the attack. "Officials from the Intelligence Bureau and Home Ministry explained how the incident unfolded and where lapses took place," Rijiju said. He added that the meadow, located away from the main road, was only accessible by foot or pony, with a journey time of two to two-and-a-half hours.

According to sources cited by The Hindu, Opposition members revealed that Home Minister Amit Shah disclosed the Baisaran meadow had been opened to tourists without police clearance. Within just two days, over 1,000 visitors had made their way to the site. Shah highlighted that while 500 security personnel were stationed in Pahalgam on the day of the attack, Baisaran, located about a 45-minute trek away, had no security presence. He further reported that, for five days prior to the attack, no communication signals were detected within a 50 km radius of the meadow, and the terrorists had not used any communication devices.

Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, called it a "glaring security failure" and expressed disbelief that thousands of people were allowed to roam in the area without police awareness. He emphasized that it was fortunate that more casualties did not occur.

Gandhi also objected to a comparison of casualties and terror attacks under the NDA and Congress-led UPA governments, as presented by the Home Ministry. He criticised the government for diverting attention from the security failure and instead focusing on past achievements and future plans. Addressing the use of new tactics by the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), including American weapons and ammunition from Afghanistan, he questioned the preparedness of the security forces.

Sources reported that BJP ally Telugu Desam Party, represented by Lok Sabha MP Lavu Sri Krishna Devarayalu, questioned if suspending the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty would set a dangerous precedent. "Do we have a contingency plan if China takes a similar step on the Brahmaputra?" Devarayalu asked.

AlMIM chief and Lok Sabha MP Asaduddin Owaisi, who was invited after protesting the exclusion of smaller parties with fewer than five MPs, questioned the delayed response of security forces and whether the CRPF unit stationed there had been moved. In response, Shah explained that the terrain made it difficult to access the meadow quickly, with security personnel needing around 45 minutes to reach the site.