Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah emphasized on Sunday that while India must decisively fight terrorism, it should take care not to alienate innocent people.

In a post on X, the Chief Minister wrote, “After the Pahalgam terror attack, there must be a decisive fight against terrorism and its origin. People of Kashmir have come out openly against terrorism and the murder of innocent people, doing so freely and spontaneously.”

He stressed that this support must be built upon carefully. “Punish the guilty, show them no mercy, but don’t let innocent people become collateral damage,” Omar Abdullah added.

Expressing concern over the targeting of Kashmiris outside Jammu and Kashmir, the Chief Minister has already dispatched cabinet ministers to various states to ensure the safety of Kashmiri students and businessmen.

Governments across states have pledged full support for Kashmiris living outside the region and have set up helplines to assist them.

The terror attack on April 22 at the Baisaran meadow in Pahalgam left 26 civilians dead, including 25 tourists and a local resident, Syed Adil. Eyewitnesses reported that Adil attempted to resist the terrorists by seizing a weapon before being shot. He was the sole breadwinner for his elderly parents.

In response, people across Jammu and Kashmir united in condemning the terror attack, with a spontaneous shutdown observed on April 23 — the first such shutdown since the abrogation of Article 370 on August 5, 2019.

Every section of Kashmiri society — religious, political, social, industrialists, professionals, and businessmen — unequivocally condemned the Pahalgam attack, demanding exemplary punishment for the perpetrators.

As the nation expressed its outrage over the attack, Kashmiris expressed concern over isolated incidents of hostility towards their community in other parts of India, calling for careful distinction between the guilty and the innocent.