India, April 23 -- For the first time since the revocation of Article 370 in 2019, the Kashmir Valley observed a complete hartal (shutdown) with shops and educational institutions closed and traffic off the roads on Wednesday to protest the dastardly terror attack on tourists in Pahalgam that left at least 26 dead on Tuesday afternoon.

The tourist destination of Pahalgam resembled a ghost town with businesses downing their shutters and no vehicles plying. Srinagar, including the old city, wore a deserted look. "All markets were closed in the city's business hub of Lal Chowk. This is the first time after years that such a hartal is being observed in Kashmir, particularly after the Narendra Modi-led Centre's crackdown on Kashmiri separatis...