"Stand For Humanity": Family Of Pahalgam Ponywallah On Operation Sindoor

Weeks after his son died while fighting one of the terrorists who opened fire at Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam, ponywallah Syed Adil Hussain Shah's father said Operation Sindoor gives them a sense of justice.

Syed Haider Shah said, "What the government is doing is for our country, our people, and all of us, and that's a good thing. Whether it's terrorists in Kashmir or anywhere else, the government must eliminate them."

The ponywallah's father said his son did not consider religion while saving lives at the Baisaran meadow, adding that irrespective of religion, people should stand for humanity. "People who disrupt peace should be dealt with strongly," he said.

Adil's mother Babyjan said that she is happy that those responsible for the attack, in which 26 civilians were killed, have been brought to justice.

His brother Naushad said that it is this sense of justice that will bring peace to the families of those who died in the April 22 terror attack. "We had high hopes from them (the government) because the attack had to be avenged. We feel proud of our government. We had trust in them," he said.

In retaliation to the Pahalgam terror attack, Indian armed forces carried out missile strikes early Wednesday on nine terror targets in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir, including the Jaish-e-Mohammad stronghold of Bahawalpur and Lashkar-e-Taiba's base Muridke.

Under Operation Sindoor, "focused, measured and non-escalatory" actions by the armed forces did not strike Pakistani military facilities. "India has demonstrated considerable restraint in selection of targets and method of execution," a defence ministry said.

The name for the action -- Operation Sindoor -- is a reference to the red vermillion that Hindu women wear to signify their married status. In the Pahalgam terror attack, the husbands of several women were killed in front of them including an Indian Navy officer.

The operation came days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave the armed forces full freedom to respond to the Pahalgam terror attack.

In a high-level meeting with the top defence brass on April 29, PM Modi gave the armed forces "complete operational freedom" to decide on the mode, targets and timing of the response to the Pahalgam terror attack.