mid the devastating terror attack that struck Pahalgam earlier this week, killing 26 people including 25 tourists and one local resident, a powerful story of courage has surfaced from the heart of the violence. BJP youth wing member Arvind S. Agrawal credits a local guide, 28-year-old Nazakat Ahmed Shah, for saving his family’s lives during the chaos.
Agrawal, a resident of Chhattisgarh’s Chirimiri, was visiting Pahalgam with his wife and four-year-old daughter when gunmen opened fire near the popular zipline area. Caught off guard while taking photos, Agrawal was separated from his wife and child — who were with Shah and another tourist family.
“Everything was peaceful,” Agrawal told The Indian Express. “Suddenly, gunshots rang out. Nazakat immediately reacted—he told everyone to lie down and shielded the children with his body.” Shah then led them to safety through a gap in the fencing, before turning back to find Agrawal’s wife, who had fled in a different direction. He brought her back from nearly 1.5 kilometers away.
The group then drove to Srinagar in Shah’s vehicle. “Nazakat Bhai didn’t just save us—he protected my daughter with his own body. My wife’s clothes were torn while running; locals gave her something to wear,” Agrawal recalled. Later, he shared a photo with Shah on Instagram, calling his actions unforgettable.
But while Shah was saving lives, he lost one of his own. His cousin, Syed Adil Hussain Shah, a 30-year-old horseman who ferried tourists, was shot and killed while reportedly trying to stop the attackers.
“I got a call after everything and was told my brother Adil had been killed,” Shah said. “This attack was not just on tourists—it was an attack on our livelihood, on our very hearts. Without tourism, we are nothing. Our children’s futures depend on this.”
Shah’s story, now widely shared online, has sparked an outpouring of grief and solidarity. Locals in Pahalgam observed a shutdown in protest and mourning.
Security forces continue their search for the attackers, but voices like Nazakat Shah’s offer a stark contrast to the violence—reminding the nation that even in moments of horror, humanity persists.
- 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/
