Pahalgam Attack: On April 22 of last year, 26 innocent people, mostly tourists, were killed when terrorists opened fire in Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir. As gunfire broke out, panic spread among the people who sought cover, but there was no place for them to hide in the wide, open space.
During the attack, Nazakat Ali risked his life to save 11 tourists from Chhattisgarh. Today, on the first anniversary of the Pahalgam attack, Ali recounted the horror.
Pahalgam Attack: Kashmiri Man Recounts The Horror
A group of tourists had travelled from Chhattisgarh for a mountain getaway, accompanied by their guide, Nazakat Ali, a 30-year-old shawl trader and a tourist guide from Kashmir.
On April 22, Nazakat had taken the tourists to Baisaran Valley, where he was making Instagram reels with children near the zip line exit point, when he heard the gunfire. Initially, it seemed like an encounter between the army and terrorists, Nazakat told NDTV. But, suddenly, a gunman started firing at the tourists.
He immediately instructed the 11 people in his group to lie flat on the ground. Within a couple of minutes, he began guiding them to safety based on his knowledge of every hidden path in the Valley. He led the group for about seven kilometres through the dense forest till they reached Pahalgam.
Upon arrival, they discovered two women had been left behind. Nazakat returned to the forest to locate and escort the women to safety.
While he saved the group, Nazakat said that his maternal uncle's son, Syed Adil Shah, was killed in the attack.
Honoured In Presence Of Former CM Bhupesh Baghel
Nazakat Ali was honoured at a ceremony in Chhattisgarh's Raipur on April 21, in the presence of former Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel. During the event, he received flowers and a medal from some ministers.
Speaking to NDTV, Nazakat said that tourists are now coming back to Kashmir in large numbers a year after the attack. "Not just one, but hundreds of Nazakats are ready to welcome them," he was quoted as saying.