Nazakat Ali, a shawl trader from Kashmir, had accompanied some of his customers to Baisaran valley, also known as 'Mini Switzerland', on the fateful day when 26 innocents were killed there in cold blood. As the killers picked their targets, asked them their religion and shot them dead, this Kashmiri man risked his life to bring 11 people to safety.
Speaking to NDTV, Mr Ali said he spends the winter in Chirimiri, a small town in Chhattisgarh, every year and sells shawls there. "Some people had come from there. There were 11 people from four families. We received them at Jammu on April 16 and took them around Srinagar and Gulmarg. We planned the Pahalgam leg on the last day because we had invited them home for a feast. We reached Pahalgam on April 21, spent the night in a hotel and the next morning, we reached Baisaran valley."
Mr Ali said his customers were having a fun time at Baisaran Valley when the terrorists struck. "I was playing with their child when we heard shots. Initially, everyone thought crackers were being used to scare off wild animals like bears. But when the firing continued, fear struck. I lay down with their child. The others followed," he said. "It was about humanity. I decided I have to save them and take them safely back. I picked up the child and led the others out of the valley. We ran for about 7 km before we finally reached Pahalgam," Mr Ali said.
Twenty-five tourists and a Kashmiri pony ride operator were brutally murdered in Pahalgam that day as terrorists crossed the big red line of not targeting civilians and tourists. The aftermath of the tragedy has brought to the fore countless instances of Kashmiris risking their safety to protect the travellers. While Syed Adil Hussain Shah died trying to snatch a terrorist's gun, others saved lives by running down the mountainous terrain with tourists hanging on to their backs.
Kashmir has erupted in protest against the security attack, which threatens to puncture the tourism boost the Valley has enjoyed over the past couple of years. For the first time in 35 years, Kashmir shut down completely to protest a terror strike. Loudspeakers in mosques blared out appeals to the people to join the shutdown, and spontaneous protests hit the streets. Shopkeepers and hoteliers took part in protest marches, raising slogans of "Hindustan Zindabad" and "I am Indian".
India has vowed an exemplary response as the investigation into the terror strike points to a Pakistani hand, like several other attacks on Indian soil in the past. India has launched a series of diplomatic moves against Pakistan, including the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty and visa services to Pakistani nationals. Marathon meetings between Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and top officials in the defence establishment suggest that a bigger action is imminent.
Pakistan, on the other hand, has gone back to its playbook of denying any role in the attacks and asking for evidence. Following terror strikes in the past, including the 26/11 attacks in Mumbai, Indian authorities shared information and evidence with Pakistan, but the latter has never done enough to bring the perpetrators to justice. After India suspended the Indus Waters Treaty, Pakistan said any move to stop water flowing into the country would be seen as an act of power and threatened to suspend all bilateral pacts, including the Simla Agreement that validates the Line of Control.
