Gangangeer attack: “My father was our only support,” says son of slain Dr Dar

BUDGAM: Dr. Shahnawaz Dar, a resident of Nadigam village in Budgam district, was among the eight workers who tragically lost their lives in a recent terrorist attack near a tunnel-construction site along the Srinagar-Leh national highway in Gagangeer, Central Kashmir. Dr. Dar, who had been the sole breadwinner for his family, had only recently seen his daughter get married on October 16, just days before the incident.
Suhail Shahnaz Dar, the elder son of Dr. Dar, shared with Rising Kashmir that his father was employed as a medical officer with APCO Infratech, a position he held since 2018. “An hour before my father’s death, we spoke over the phone, discussing plans to visit my sister’s in-laws. I received the tragic news of his death from a colleague, who said he was killed between 8:30 am and 8:45 am on Sunday,” Suhail recounted.
Suhail had also worked at APCO Infratech as a storekeeper but left the job a month ago. He explained the family’s dire situation, noting, “My father was the sole provider for our family, supporting my brother, sister, mother, and two unmarried uncles who live with us. My brother is a student at Jammu University, and my sister just got married. My uncles have limited income—one is a student, and the other a farmer. We have no other means of support.”
Residents of Nadigam village have appealed to Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, seeking compensation and a government job for the family, as they cope with the loss of their primary breadwinner.
Dr. Dar was a general physician with an MD degree. Before joining APCO Infratech in 2018, he served as a contractual doctor at SKIMS Soura from 2012 to 2015 and later worked at SHMHS Hospital Srinagar until 2017. His commitment to his role as a medical officer extended until the day of the attack.
Suhail recalled his father’s dedication, sharing that on the day of his sister’s wedding, Dr. Dar was busy attending to guests, a memory now marked as the last time his daughter saw him. “I dropped him off at work on October 18, not knowing it would be the last time we’d see him,” Suhail added, expressing the family’s deep grief and disbelief over the loss.