Pune: “They Shot My Father for Being Hindu” — Survivor Recounts Horror of Pahalgam Terror Attack

Reported by Nisha Shinde
Pune, 23rd April 2025: In a chilling act of religiously motivated violence, 26 tourists were killed and 17 others injured in a brutal terror attack at Pahalgam, often referred to as “Mini Switzerland,” a popular destination in Jammu and Kashmir. Among the survivors is Asawari Jagdale, a tourist from Pune, who witnessed the killing of her father during the assault.

Speaking in an audio interview, Asawari recounted the horrifying incident. “We had gone to visit the valley, and there were many tourists present. Around noon, some men began firing. They were terrorists. They were specifically targeting men. They asked people their religion—‘Are you Hindu or Muslim?’”

Asawari was accompanied by five family members when the attackers approached her father. “They asked him to recite the Azaan. He couldn’t, because he was Hindu. One of the youths told him, ‘You people have brought Modi to power. Because of you, our religion is under threat. You lie and say we harm your women and children. Have we ever done that? Now, recite the Azaan or I’ll shoot.’”

Fighting back tears, she added, “My father didn’t know what to say. He was a Marathi Hindu. They shot him dead in front of me. My uncle was with us too. He was also shot. They fired at men even in the opposite tents where people were hiding. They didn’t harm women or children—only targeted the men.”

Once the assailants fled, survivors scrambled to locate their loved ones. “We were terrified they might come back. Some local people helped us and told us to run. They said, ‘The military will come.’ But it wasn’t easy to escape—we were on a hill. It took us nearly half an hour to get to safety. Eventually, the army arrived and rescued the injured, taking them to a hospital in Srinagar,” Asawari said.

She is expected to return to Pune around 6 p.m. today.