Lagatar24 Desk
Srinagar: Syed Adil Shah, the Kashmiri pony ride operator who laid down his life trying to protect tourists during the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, is being remembered as a symbol of humanity and courage in the face of barbarism.
Shah, 30, was the only local resident among the 26 victims of the attack that targeted Hindu tourists. According to eyewitnesses and officials, he died attempting to wrest a weapon from one of the terrorists to protect a tourist family.
“He showed his humanity and that allows us to live on,” said his father, Syed Haidar Shah, adding that though their family is shattered, they take pride in his sacrifice.
That morning, Shah had left for work after three days of rain. His brother, Naushad Hussain, recounted a panicked search that led him from Pahalgam hospital to Srinagar, where he finally found Shah’s body with three gunshot wounds and signs of a struggle.
“I saw bruises on his wrists and arm,” Hussain said. “It was clear he had resisted.”
Shah’s story is part of a larger tragedy. Survivors revealed the terrorists singled out men, asking for religious identity proofs, demanding they recite the kalma, and even ordering them to pull down their trousers to check for circumcision—part of a gruesome religious screening process. Those confirmed to be Hindu men were shot point-blank.
Of the 26 killed, 25 were Hindu males.
According to sources, at least 70 overground workers (OGWs) suspected of aiding the terrorists are under active investigation. Initially, 1,500 individuals were rounded up, and the probe is now narrowing down to those directly involved in logistical support for the attackers.
Shah’s act of bravery has resonated across Kashmir and beyond. “My son had a very sharp sense of right and wrong,”said his father. “There are 25 other grieving families. But I’m proud my son chose to stand for others.”
His funeral in Anantnag drew large crowds, and he is being hailed as a martyr by locals.
The Pahalgam attack, one of the worst since Article 370 was revoked in 2019, has sparked a national outcry and a renewed crackdown on cross-border terrorism.
