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‘Am alive because…’: Father of man who died saving tourists in Pahalgam attack
Syed Adil Hussain Shah, the eldest son and the sole breadwinner of his family, died while trying to protect tourists during the Pahalgam attack.
The serene landscapes of Pahalgam were rocked on Tuesday as a brutal terror attack claimed the lives of 26 people, including a local pony handler, Syed Adil Hussain Shah. Amid grief and devastation, Adil's father, Syed Hyder Shah, has emerged as a voice of sorrow, dignity, and immense pride in his son's final act of heroism.
Adil, the eldest son and the sole breadwinner of his family, died while trying to protect tourists during the attack. For his father, the pain of loss is unbearable, but it's his son's selfless courage that sustains him through the heartbreak.
Speaking to ANI, Hyder Shah said, "I am proud of him and his shahadat (sacrifice). I am alive only because of that pride. Otherwise, I would have died the moment I saw his young, lifeless body."
Adil’s last day began like any other. He left early in the morning for work, riding ponies for tourists in the lush meadows of Pahalgam. Around 3 pm, the family received news of an ongoing attack in the area. Frantic attempts to reach Adil went unanswered until his phone showed a brief signal - only to go silent again. Their worst fears were confirmed when they rushed to the police station and then the hospital. Adil had been shot multiple times while reportedly trying to shield tourists and even attempting to disarm one of the attackers.
“We got to know around 6 pm that my son and cousin were in a hospital. People who went looking for him informed me about the incident,” Hyder recalled. "Some people were saved because of him, and I am proud of it."
Adil’s mother, heartbroken and in tears, described her son as the pillar of their humble home. “He earned ₹300 a day. We'd buy rice in the evening and eat together. Now, who will bring food? Who will bring medicines?” she asked, her voice laden with grief and fear for the future.
Even in mourning, she recognized the humanity in her son's final actions. “He died while saving them. But what can we do? They were also our brothers.”
The tragedy has shattered the Shah family. Adil’s sister, Ravisa, spoke of how her brother had planned to return home early that day. “He said he wasn’t feeling well and would take a day off. But he never came back. He tried to snatch the gun and save others. Three bullets hit his chest, one in the throat.”
Local residents have hailed Adil as a hero, and Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who visited the grieving family, echoed this sentiment.
"As I have heard, he (Adil) tried to stop the attack and perhaps even tried to snatch the gun, and that is when he was targeted," the CM said. "We have to take care of this family... the government stands with them and we will do whatever we can for them."
The terror attack, one of the deadliest in the region since the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019, has triggered a massive security operation to hunt down the perpetrators.
