Pahalgam hero's father: “My son could also have saved himself. But his conscience didn't allow it”

Apr 20, 2026 | 15:50 IST

Adil dies saving others, his family was compensated with a new house

Adi, a ponywallah, grabbed a terrorist’s rifle barrel, his only thought was to save the tourists. He died that day. Another Pahalgam local, Wani, was one of the first to arrive at Pahalgam’s Baisaran Valley. He survived but the memories of April 22, 2025, will haunt him forever

HAPTNAR (ANANTNAG): His scorched hands and bullet-riddled body told a story of courage and sacrifice. Ponywallah Syed Adil Hussain Shah, who grabbed a terrorist’s rifle barrel to save tourists during the horrific massacre in Pahalgam’s Baisaran Valley last year, came to embody Kashmir’s spirit and India’s soul in his final act of selflessness.

Adil was the sole breadwinner of his family when he was killed on April 22, 2025, in which 26 people were killed and 17 others wounded.

TOI

TOI

Pahalgam hero's father: “My son could also have saved himself. But his conscience didn't allow it”

Adi, a ponywallah, grabbed a terrorist’s rifle barrel, his only thought was to save the tourists. He died that day. Another Pahalgam local, Wani, was one of the first to arrive at Pahalgam’s Baisaran Valley. He survived but the memories of April 22, 2025, will haunt him forever

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TOI

Pahalgam hero's father: “My son could also have saved himself. But his conscience didn't allow it”

Adi, a ponywallah, grabbed a terrorist’s rifle barrel, his only thought was to save the tourists. He died that day. Another Pahalgam local, Wani, was one of the first to arrive at Pahalgam’s Baisaran Valley. He survived but the memories of April 22, 2025, will haunt him forever

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