After a temporary shutdown of civil aviation services to and from Srinagar, hundreds of tourists who were bound to fly to their home states from the valley were unexpectedly stuck in Kashmir after the Indian government announced the shutdown of various airports.
However, a Srinagar based hotel owner, Kaisar Ahmad has offered free accommodation and food services to the stuck tourists at his facility in Jawahar Nagar, some 20 kilometres away from the Srinagar airport.
The hotel owner's heartwarming initiative at a time when hostility between the two neighbouring countries of India and Pakistan is at an all-time high has been widely appreciated on social media.
If you have a family member or friend who is stuck in Srinagar in this war-like situation, pass on this info. to them. pic.twitter.com/qbjlfebnbb
— Shehla Rashid شہلا رشید (@Shehla_Rashid) February 27, 2019
Meanwhile, the Department of Tourism, J&K has also made available the helpline numbers for tourists who are stuck in J&K.
Amid the escalating tension between the two neighbouring countries, India and Pakistan, the Kashmir valley has been put on a high alert after Pakistan earlier violated the Indian air space and its F-16 fighter jet dropped bombs at three different locations in J&K. The hospitals across the valley have been painted with a red cross for emergency medical services. The leaves of medical and para-medical staff across various hospitals in the state have also been cancelled.
Amid the war-like situation, the rooftops of hospitals in Srinagar are being painted with Red Cross. pic.twitter.com/ACQ0YX1ZXi — Aakash Hassan (@Aakashhassan) February 27, 2019
Meanwhile, the valley observed a complete shutdown in response to a call by Hurriyat Conference after around 200 separatist leaders were arrested by the police over the last few days. The National Investigation Agency on February 26 also conducted a series of raids on the houses of Hurriyat leader, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and J&K liberation Front Chief, Yaseen Malik.