Pahalgam Terror Attack: Muslim Horse Rider Shot Dead, Family Says He Was The Sole Breadwinner (Image: X/husainhaqqani)

An unexpected tragedy has engulfed the quiet, scenic town of Pahalgam after a terrorist attack on Tuesday claimed the lives of several innocent people in Kashmir.

Among the victims was 34-year-old Syed Adil Hussain Shah, a local horse rider and the only breadwinner of his family.

Adil had gone to Pahalgam for work, as he did regularly to support his family by offering horse rides to tourists.

Around 3 PM on Tuesday, news of a terrorist attack started spreading in the town. His family tried calling him, but his phone was switched off.

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The family kept trying, and finally, around 4:30 PM, his phone rang, but no one picked up. Fearing the worst, his father, Syed Haider Shah, rushed to the local police station.

Haider Shah told ANI, “My son went to Pahalgam to earn a living. When we couldn’t reach him, we rushed to the police station. That’s when we learned that he had been injured in the attack. Later, we were told that he had been martyred. He was the only one earning in the family. We have no one now. He was innocent—why was he killed? Whoever did this must be punished.”

Adil’s mother told ANI: “He was our only support,”. “He rode horses and earned for all of us. We don’t know how we will survive without him. There’s no one else to provide for us now.”

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His uncle, Shaheed Bug Singh, shared that Adil was the eldest son in the family, and he had a wife and young children.

“He was the backbone of this family. His death has destroyed them. They are poor people. Now, they have no one to turn to. We request that the government please help. His family needs support and protection,” he told ANI.