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But hours after the announcement, residents - and BBC reporters - in the main Indian-administered Kashmiri cities of Srinagar and Jammu reported hearing the sounds of explosions and seeing flashes in the sky.

A driver who had brought visitors from the capital, Srinagar, told BBC Hindi that he was pleading with those visiting not to "distance" themselves from Kashmir.

Last year, a video showing tourists drinking alcohol during a boat ride on the famous Dal Lake in Srinagar evoked outrage from political and religious leaders, who called the behaviour "un-Islamic and unethical".

In February, locals put up posters in Srinagar, asking tourists to "respect local culture and traditions" and "avoid alcohol and use of drugs", but these were later pulled down by the police.

Born in Srinagar in Indian-administered Kashmir in 1961, Bal graduated from Delhi's St Stephens College with an honours degree in history.