Srinagar: Terming government advisory asking Amarnath pilgrims and tourists to curtail their stay and leave Kashmir valley as unprecedented, former chief minister Omar Abdullah on Friday said though this order would seem to suggest a genuine fear of a massive terror strike, but this will do nothing to dampen the sense of fear in the valley at the moment.

However, Mr Abdullah asked why the government spent money flying journalists — foreign and Indian — to brief them about how good the situation is and about how well the yatra has been going, and then ordered yatris and tourists to leave immediately.

“Although this unprecedented order would seem to suggest a genuine fear of a massive terror strike directed at Amarnath ji yatris or/and tourists this will do nothing to dampen the sense of fear & foreboding that prevails in the valley at the moment,” Mr Abdullah, who is Vice President of National Conference (NC), wrote on micro-blogging site twitter after the advisory issued by Principal secretary Home Shaleen Kabra.

In another tweet, he said “Seriously? You think an official order telling tourists to leave immediately will not cause them to run from the valley as fast as they can? Which tourist will hang around after seeing this order. The airport & highway will be choked with people leaving”.

“What I don’t get is that the government has spent money flying in teams of journalists, foreign & Indian, to brief them about how good the situation is, about how well the yatra has been going & then this order is issued ordering yatris & tourists to leave immediately,” he added.

Mr Abdullah was reacting to the Jammu and Kashmir Government asking Amarnath pilgrims and tourists to curtail their stay and leave Kashmir valley as soon as possible in view of the militant threats.

Mr Kabra in the advisory said that keeping in view the militant threat and prevailing situation, pilgrims and tourists are asked to curtail their stay and leave the valley. “It is advised that they may curtail their stay in the valley immediately and take necessary measures to return as soon as possible,” the order said.

People in Kashmir valley have been on the edge from last few days after additional paramilitary companies have been sent to the valley, giving rise to speculation to many theories.

Several orders given by different security agencies have further fueled the speculations in the valley, where people have resorted to panic buying essential commodities, fearing trouble about August 15.