Hurriyat opposes Israeli tourists visiting Kashmir

Chairman of the moderate All Parties Hurriyat Conference Mirwaiz Moulvi Umar Farooq on Friday lambasted the government for 'wooing tourists from Israel'.

Addressing the Friday congregation at the historic Jamia mosque in the old city, he said, "Israel is an open enemy of the Muslim world and Palestinians and government efforts to encourage the tourists from the Jewish state were intriguing and a matter of deep concern."

The Mirwaiz said that despite hardships faced by them in past two decades, the people of Kashmir always welcomed the tourists with open arms.

"However, the repeated efforts of the government to woo tourists from Israel smacked of a well-planned conspiracy. The government should explain the reasons behind its repeated efforts to lure the Israeli tourists to the Muslim majority in Kashmir."

The state tourism department is holding a road show in Tel Aviv to encourage tourists from Israel. Early this week, Jamaat-e-Islami Jammu and Kashmir, a religio-political organisation asked tourists to follow a proper dress code or stop visiting the Himalayan Valley.