Among the 26 people killed in the militant attack in Pahalgam was a local pony ride operator, Syed Adil Hussain Shah, who died while bravely confronting one of the assailants.
The 26-year-old from Hapatnar village in Anantnag became the only local victim of the attack.
Eyewitnesses say Shah attempted to seize the rifle from a gunman in a desperate bid to stop the carnage. He was shot during the struggle. His act is being hailed as a symbol of courage for trying to protect the tourists.
Speaking to news agency ANI, Shah’s father, Syed Haider Hussain Shah, said he tried to call Syed at around 3 pm but his phone was switched off. “My son had gone to Pahalgam for work. Around 3 pm, we heard about the incident. We kept calling him, but his phone was off. At 4:40 pm, it switched on again, but no one answered. We rushed to the police station and that’s where we found out he had been injured. Whoever did this must be held accountable,” he said.
Shah, the sole breadwinner of his family, would manage to earn Rs 300–400 a day from his pony rides. He had recently suffered the loss of his newborn daughter.
The attack took place near Baisaran, a picturesque meadow located at the end of a steep seven-kilometre trail from Pahalgam. The remote location is inaccessible by road and reachable only on foot, horseback, or helicopter. Following the attack, pony riders like Shah helped rush the wounded down the trail on horseback to Pahalgam, from where they were taken to hospitals.
Omar Abdullah attends Syed Adil Hussain Shah’s funeral
Hundreds including Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah, attended Shah’s funeral in his ancestral village of Hapatnard on Wednesday.
He praised Shah and said that the pony operator was the household’s sole breadwinner.
He also condemned the attack, which mostly claimed tourists’ lives, and vowed full support for victims’ families.
“Syed Adil Hussain Shah confronted terrorists to save others. His sacrifice won’t be forgotten,” he stated.
India’s diplomatic retaliation
On Wednesday, India summoned Pakistan’s top diplomat in New Delhi, Saad Ahmad Warraich, and handed over a formal Persona Non Grata note for all its military attachés.
In a historic move, India suspended the Indus Waters Treaty of 1960, marking the first time the landmark agreement has been placed in abeyance. The MEA confirmed that the decision will stay in effect until Pakistan takes verifiable steps to end its sponsorship of cross-border terrorism.
In another major step, Pakistani citizens will no longer be allowed entry into India under the SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme (SVES). All previously issued SVES visas to Pakistani nationals have been revoked, and those in India under the scheme have been given 48 hours to leave.
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