Pahalgam terror attack: Baisaran meadow open to tourists for years, police permit never sought, says J&K Government official

Baisaran meadow attack aftermath: Police permission not sought, security lapses, and visa restrictions for Pakistani nationals.

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.

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.