Anantnag, Apr 23: A 32-year-old resident of Anantnag was among those killed in the Pahalgam carnage on Tuesday. He was earning his livelihood by taking tourists to the Baisaran meadow of Pahalgam on horseback when he was fatally shot.
Adil Hussain Shah, a resident of Hapatnar—a remote village around seven kilometers from Aishmuqam, the famous town known for the shrine of a revered Sufi saint—was one of the victims of the attack.
Syed Hyder Shah, Adil’s father, said his son had gone to Pahalgam for work. “Around 3 PM, we heard about the firing that had occurred at Baisaran. We called his phone, but it was switched off,” he said.
“Later, around 4 or 4:30 PM, his phone was reachable again. We kept calling repeatedly, but no one answered. Eventually, we went to Aishmuqam police station and reported to them.”
“We later got to know he was among the victims. We rushed to the hospital and found him there. He was my elder son and the breadwinner of our family. He was just doing his job—riding ponies. What appeal can I make now? His life is lost. Justice must be served and the perpetrators brought to justice. Why was an innocent man killed?” his father said in anguish.
Mourners at Hapatnar condemned the brutal killing of the tourists, referring to them as “guests of Kashmir,” and expressed solidarity with the bereaved families.
“We urge the authorities to identify and punish the perpetrators of this heinous act. This massacre is a stain on humanity, a shame we find hard to bear. In the strongest possible terms, we condemn this violence,” a mourner said.
