MUDASSIR YOUSUF | MIR AASIF
Srinagar: It was a clear spring afternoon in Pahalgam. The meadows of Baisaran were busy with tourists, families scattered across the grass, children running along the slopes, pony rides moving in slow circles. The air carried the ease of a routine day in one of Kashmir’s most visited destinations.
Then the calm broke.
Gunfire cut through the valley without warning. Within moments, confusion took over. People ran in different directions, some trying to find cover behind trees and rocks, others searching for family members in the chaos. What had begun as a day of leisure turned into a scene of fear and uncertainty.
The attack, carried out by terrorists on April 22, 2025, left 26 civilians dead, most of them tourists, and several others injured. Many of those caught in the firing had little chance to react in the open meadow. The absence of immediate shelter compounded the panic.
Eyewitnesses later recalled how locals stepped in without hesitation. Pony handlers, guides, and shopkeepers helped evacuate the injured, using whatever means were available. Some carried victims on their backs down the slopes, while others arranged vehicles to move them to hospitals in Pahalgam and Anantnag. The critically injured were later shifted to Srinagar.
As news of the attack spread, shock and grief followed. The images from Baisaran, usually associated with calm landscapes, reflected a different reality that day.
A year later, the memory of that afternoon remains sharp. For the families who lost their loved ones, the date carries a weight that does not fade. For many in Kashmir, it marked a moment when a place known for quiet retreat witnessed sudden violence.
Today, as the anniversary is observed, the day stands recalled not only for the lives lost but the resolve that followed.
