Srinagar: When bullets ripped through the serenity of Baisaran Valley in Pahalgam on Tuesday (April 22), turning the holiday destination into a warzone, 32-year-old shawl vendor Sajad Ahmad Bhat didn't run away. He ran towards the chaos.
In a now-viral video that has captured the country’s heart, Sajad is seen carrying an injured tourist on his back through uneven terrain. His bravery has turned him into a symbol of compassion and courage in the wake of a deadly attack that took 26 lives, including tourists and a local horseman.
“It is our responsibility to assist the tourists because they are our guests, and our livelihood depends on them. I didn't bother about my life. Humanity is first,” he told ETV Bharat over the phone.
The attack, carried out by four terrorists affiliated with The Resistance Front (TRF), an offshoot of Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT), began around 2 pm in Baisaran, a meadow six kilometres from Pahalgam. Tourists were ambushed while picnicking and riding ponies, officials said. The black-clad, heavily armed men opened fire indiscriminately.
Sajad was at home when he received a message from the President of the Pahalgam Pony Association, Abdul Waheed Wan, regarding the incident. “We went with him and reached the location around 3 to 3:30 pm. We gave water to the injured and lifted those who couldn't walk. We brought many of them to the hospital,” he recalled.
“We did not care about our own lives because when we got there, people were pleading for help,” he said. “When I saw the tourists crying, tears came to my eyes. Their arrival lights up the lamps in our houses. Our life is incomplete without them. I rescued a tourist from Karnataka. I never asked for his name, and it doesn't matter.”
On being asked about the appreciation he is getting on the internet, he said, “I don't want awards. I want peace. I want safety for our tourists. And I want no more blood on our soil.”
“We are not terrorists. We are hosts. Kashmir is not just a place of conflict. It is also a place of care, hospitality, and love,” Sajad said.
Before him, Syed Adil Hussain Shah, a pony handler, had emerged as a local hero. Eyewitnesses say Adil confronted the attackers directly but lost his life in the attempt.
“He didn't run,” said one of the survivors. “He ran after one of the militants, yelling at him to stop.” Armed with only courage, Shah was shot at close range, his body later found lying beside the same tourists he tried to protect.
Meanwhile, police have identified the suspected assailants as Adil Thokar, a local from Anantnag, and two Pakistani nationals — Hashim Musa, alias Sulaiman, and Ali Bhai, alias Talha Bhai. They are, according to the police, the members of the TRF's so-called “Falcon Squad”.
“A massive search operation is in progress throughout the region with drone surveillance and paramilitary units scouring the woods. A reward of Rs 20 lakh has been announced for information that leads to the arrest of each militant,” he said.
Following the attack, Jammu and Kashmir declared a day of mourning yesterday. Markets across Srinagar, Anantnag, and Pahalgam remained shuttered. The administration announced Rs 10 lakh in compensation for each deceased's family and Rs 2 lakh for those seriously injured.
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