A crowd of mourners gathered at Adil Hussain Shah’s residence in Hapatnar, Anantnag, their cries echoing through the narrow lanes. Some tried to console the grieving, while others stood in stunned silence. Adil’s family clutched his photographs tightly as his lifeless body arrived home. Among the hundreds at his funeral was former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, standing shoulder to shoulder with the community in mourning.
Adil, a 27-year-old labourer, worked with horses at tourist sites in Pahalgam. He didn’t own a horse himself but made a modest living helping manage pony rides for visitors. He was the eldest of six siblings—three sisters and two younger brothers—and the sole breadwinner of the family. He is survived by his elderly parents and his young wife, who now waits silently, her world upended by the sudden loss.
On April 22, around 3 p.m., panic erupted at Baisaran, a lush meadow above Pahalgam popular with tourists. An eyewitness described scenes of chaos, with people screaming and running in all directions. “It felt like the sky had fallen,” he said. “Later, we learned it was a barrage of bullets. We gave water to the terrified visitors.”
Syed Haider Shah, Adil’s father, remembers the moment the news reached them. “He left home that morning like always. When we heard of the firing, we tried calling him—no one answered. We rushed to the Ashmuqam police station and filed a missing report,” he said.
Despite being shot, Adil reportedly continued to help those injured in the firing. “He was trying to carry a wounded man to safety,” said a local eyewitness. “He kept shouting for help, asking others to stay low. Even after being hit, he didn’t stop.” According to multiple eyewitnesses, two more bullets struck him while he was helping others—one in the shoulder, another in the chest.
A local who performed Adil’s final rites confirmed: “He was shot three times—once in the neck, once in the shoulder, and once in the chest. He died trying to save lives.”
“I have lost my son, but I want to say this—no innocent should suffer like this again,” said Haider, his voice trembling. “I appeal to the government to compensate all those who were innocent victims.”
The attack, which took place at Baisaran on April 22, left 26 people dead, including tourists and local workers. Authorities have labeled it a “cowardly terrorist attack on civilians.” The Jammu and Kashmir Police have announced a reward of ₹20 lakh for information and released sketches of the suspected attackers
- News Deskhttps://thekashmiriyat.co.uk/author/kashmiriyat/
- News Deskhttps://thekashmiriyat.co.uk/author/kashmiriyat/
- News Deskhttps://thekashmiriyat.co.uk/author/kashmiriyat/
- News Deskhttps://thekashmiriyat.co.uk/author/kashmiriyat/
