'Would’ve been better had they killed us, the Kashmiris’: Pahalgam hawker who braved bullets to rescue injured tourist

NEW DELHI: Sajad Ahmad Bhat, a shawl hawker from Pahalgam, is being hailed as a hero after he carried an injured tourist on his back to safety following the terror attack in the Baisaran Valley on Tuesday that left 28 people dead.
Recounting the horrifying scene, Sajad shared that he and others rushed to the location after receiving a message from Abdul Waheed Wan, the president of the Pahalgam Pony Association.

We reached the spot around 3pm and what I saw there was unforgettable.
"Abdul Waheed Wani sent a message on our WhatsApp group about the incident in Baisaran Valley. So we went with him and reached the location around 3pm. We gave water to the injured and lifted those who could not walk," Sajad said.
Despite the chaos and the risks, Sajad and others carried some tourists to safety and transported them to nearby hospitals.
"Humanity comes before religion. It is our duty to help the tourists as they are our guests, and our livelihood depends on them. We brought many of them to the hospital, " Sajad said.
"This is a murder of humanity, and the entire Kashmir. It would've been better had they (terrorists) killed us, the Kashmiris. This was a cowardly act. This is the first time I have seen such an incident. The entire Kashmir is in shock."
(With inputs from agencies)