New Delhi: In the aftermath of the horrific terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s (J&K) Pahalgam that claimed many lives and left scores injured, a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) has been filed before the Supreme Court in respect to the safety and security of people from terrorist attacks who visit tourist places especially the hilly areas and remote destinations.

The petition said that there exists a lack of safety programmes and guidelines for tourists and general people on how to save themselves when there is a terrorist attack, how to get immediate help and how to hide themselves when attacked. It added that tourists in Pahalgam were an easy target for the terrorists as those innocent people were unarmed and without any security.

“It is for the first time that the tourists have been targeted and in such large numbers they have been killed and injured. Now it has raised the question of safety and security of the people of the country who visit as tourists mostly in hilly areas and valleys like Jammu and Kashmir,” the plea said.

It added, “Recent terrorist attacks have raised questions of the security of tourists visiting such remote places. In urban areas it is difficult to attack as there is regular movement of police forces but tourist destinations are geographically different where people can be targeted easily.” The PIL stressed that the Centre and State governments will have to take steps to deploy adequate security for the tourists who visit remote hilly areas and valleys specially during the summer season.