Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India], April 23 (ANI): As the nation mourns the killing of tourists in the Pahalgam terrorist attack, the students at Darul Uloom Firangi Mahal in Lucknow organised special prayers and offered 'duas' while hoping for the safety of the people of Jammu and Kashmir and the entire nation from violent attacks.

All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) member Maulana Khalid Rasheed of Farangi Mahali on Monday strongly condemned the killings of tourists in the Pahalgam terrorist attack, which has caused a stir across the country, and demanded punishment for those involved in the killings while appealing for peace and communal harmony.

'We demand that the Indian government ensure that the killers are punished severely. We appeal to the people of Pahalgam to maintain peace and communal harmony,' Maulana Rasheed told ANI.

A special prayer was organised by students at Darul Uloom Firangi Mahal here, where they offered 'duas' while hoping for the safety of the people in the country.

'We condemn in the strongest possible words the terrorist attack in Pahalgam. Today, we have organised a special dua and prayers by students at Darul Uloom Firangi Mahal, Lucknow, and Shaheen Academy to safeguard the people of Jammu and Kashmir and the nation from any kind of terrorist attack,' Rasheed said.

Meanwhile, former Jammu and Kashmir Deputy Chief Minister Kavinder Gupta expressed remorse over the killing of tourists in the Pahalgam terrorist attack, and held Pakistan responsible for one of the deadliest terror attacks in Kashmir after the abrogation of Article 370.

'This is a very sad incident. Over the last three months, more than 500,000 tourists have visited Kashmir. If we look at all these issues, the situation in Kashmir was very well managed, but this cowardly act by Pakistan is intolerable,' Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Gupta told ANI.

He assured that the situation in the Kashmir valley would be normalised soon, as Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Prime Minister Narendra Modi remain invested in handling the situation.

The coffins carrying the victims of the terror attack were brought to the Srinagar airport. Several state government representatives have arrived in Srinagar to facilitate the return home of victims and tourists from their respective states.

This has been one of the biggest terror attacks after the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019. The government, however, has yet to officially confirm the number of casualties in the terror attack in Pahalgam.

As tourist movement also increases outside the Srinagar airport, Air India has added two more flights to Delhi and Mumbai, scheduled to operate today, to ensure the safe return of tourists from the valley. With the situation tense in the area, some tourists have also decided to cut their trips short.

The Ministry of Civil Aviation has arranged four new flights, two each to Delhi and Mumbai. Based on demand, they are in touch with airlines to increase their efforts.

The police administration has erected concertina wires in order to enhance security amid the heightened tensions over the deadly attacks against tourists. Choppers have been deployed in the airspace to conduct surveys and aid in the search operations in Pahalgam.

Following the terror attack, security forces have launched search operations on Wednesday to track down the terrorists responsible. Security has been heightened since the attack, with visuals from the area showing the streets deserted in the usually bustling tourist area. Many organisations have also called for a Jammu bandh following the attack. (ANI)