‘Alive because of pride’: Father of Kashmir ‘ponywallah’ who died fighting terrorist in Pahalgam
Syed Adil Hussain Shah, a pony ride operator, was killed while trying to snatch a rifle from a terrorist during Pahalgam attack
Hyder Shah, father of a 30-year-old ‘ponywallah’ who was killed while trying to snatch a rifle from a terrorist during the attack in Pahalgam, said he felt proud because of his son's sacrifice to save tourists he ferried to the meadow.
His son Syed Adil Hussain Shah's heroic act caught national attention after Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah visited his funeral on Wednesday to participate in a prayer (Fatiha) with hundreds of mourners. Shah was laid to rest at his ancestral graveyard at Hapatnard village in Pahalgam.
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The deceased's father stood inconsolable when the chief minister hugged him to share grief and express solidarity. “I am very proud of him and his sacrifice. I am alive because of the pride I am feeling. Otherwise, I would have died the moment I saw his young, dead body. I am happy because of his bravery. Some people were saved because of him, and I am proud of it,” Hyder Shah told ANI on Thursday.
Syed Naushad, the deceased's brother, said that Shah had gone to Pahalgam for work, where terrorists shot him thrice in his chest. "He used to take tourists on pony rides to Baisaran. On Tuesday, when terrorists attacked tourists, my brother tried to stop them. A tourist whose father was killed in the attack told me about the heroic act of my brother at SMHS hospital,” he said.
Abdullah hailed Shah's courageous act to defend tourists he had ferried on horseback from the parking area to Baisaran meadow. “Met his grieving family and assured them of full support — Adil (Shah) was the sole breadwinner, and his extraordinary bravery and sacrifice will forever be remembered. We are with them and will help them as much as we can,” he wrote on X.
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Shah's funeral prayers were led by a local, Ghulam Hassan, who lauded the pony ride operator's sacrifice. “He will be rewarded by Allah for his deeds. I pray nobody sees their loved ones die like this. We should always be ready to die for others, whether a Sikh, Pandit or a Muslim. That is what our religion teaches us,” Hassan said.
