Adil Hussain was his name: Pahalgam ponywallah used his body to shield tourists, gets hero's farewell

Among the 26 people killed in the terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam on Tuesday, only one was a local, 29-year-old Syed Adil Hussain Shah.

A pony guide by profession, Adil was helping tourists to reach the picturesque Baisaran meadow, often called the “mini Switzerland” of Kashmir. As the terrorists opened fire at the scene, Adil didn’t run. According to his aunt Salima, he confronted one of the attackers, even managing to grab a gun.

“A bullet tore through his hand. Then he used his body to shield the tourists, shouting, ‘Don’t kill them.’ But the terrorists showed no mercy. He was shot from behind, the bullets tore through his chest,” Adil’s aunt was quoted by NDTV.

That day was supposed to be his last day of work before a short break. Instead, it became the day he made the ultimate sacrifice.

Hundreds including Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah attended Shah’s funeral in his ancestral village of Hapatnard on Wednesday.

"The terrorists are not human... They are a disgrace. They should be handed to us. We do not need any army. Just hand them over to us. Either we die or they do. They made a widow of a young girl who was married just six days ago... she is also my daughter like this one here... Don't know what disgusting family they came from,' she added.

Adil's family initially had no idea where he was after news of the attack broke. His phone had gone silent. They knew he worked along that very route, guiding tourists daily.

When asked whether Adil might have survived if he had not tried to help the tourists, his father, Haider Shah, said, “We are not just mourning our son. We are mourning for all those innocent people who died. A girl who had been married for six days lost her husband. Another girl lost her father. My son gave his life trying to save them. He made us proud.”

Adil was the family’s sole breadwinner. His father is ailing, and his mother is unwell too. “Now who will take care of things? Who will get this girl married?” his mother asked, referring to Adil’s sister.