Veteran allrounder Irfan Pathan and other support staffs of the Jammu and Kashmir’s cricket team have been asked to leave the state, ASAP. The directive to Irfan Pathan and other support staff came after the Indian Government’s security advisory to tourists and Amarnath Yatris in the valley.
11,000 Tourists Rush To Leave Kashmir; Resorts, Colleges Emptied
Irfan Pathan, who is associated with Jammu and Kashmir team as player cum mentor is expected to leave the state on Sunday, reported The New Indian Express.
“Yes, the JKCA has advised Irfan Pathan and other support staff to leave J&K. They will fly out of the Valley on Sunday. Selectors, who are not from the region, have also been asked to leave for their respective places,” said, JKCA chief executive officer (CEO) Syed Ashiq Hussain Bukhari.
The government advisory has also forced the Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association to suspend all cricketing activities and even send home more than 100 cricketers camping in Srinagar.
“We’ve already sent 101-102 Jammu players, who were camping at Sher-i-Kashmir stadium, back. The situation is tense and even we are not sure what’s going to happen, so we postponed cricketing activities and decided to wait for the right time to restart it,” Bukhari added
Earlier, as EurAsian Times reported, The Kashmir Valley has been gripped with uncertainty and panic after the government suspended the Amarnath Yatra, and asked tourists to leave the region ASAP. An estimated 11,000 tourists, including pilgrims over 200 foreign visitors, are currently in the Valley, who are slowly leaving the region.
Jammu Mourns, Kashmir Celebrates India’s World Cup Defeat: The Irony of Jammu and Kashmir
After the government orders, there was a massive rush at petrol pumps, grocery shops and ATMs, as people stocked up on supplies. Airlines have waived cancellation charges, tourists are packing up to leave, even the National Institute of Technology in Srinagar issued a notice, quoting the district administration, that class work for all courses “stands suspended till further orders”.
Local politicians have appealed to the Centre to check the Kashmir situation to prevent it from slipping away. The opposition Congress party urged the government not to take any decision that could “precipitate a deep crisis”, and requested it to maintain “constitutional guarantees” given to J&K.
Pakistan Evacuates All Chinese Nationals In Border Areas After Aggressive Indian Firing
Meanwhile, PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti stated – The order to tourists and yatris is unprecedented. Even at the height of militancy, the Yatra was not suspended. This adds to the uncertainty in the Valley.
National Conference (NC) leader Omar Abdullah on Friday claimed that the people staying in hotels in Gulmarg were being forced to leave hotels. The NC leader said state transport buses were being deployed to people out of Gulmarg and Pahalgam.
“Friends staying in hotels in Gulmarg are being forced to leave. State road transport Corpn buses are being deployed to bus people out from Pahalgam & Gulmarg. If there is a threat to the yatra why is Gulmarg being emptied?”
