Nawazuddin Siddiqui calls the Pahalgam terror attack ‘sharmnaak'; talks of unity in India: ‘Everyone stands together'

Hindustan Times

28-04-2025

Actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui has expressed his deep pain and anger following the terror attack that took place in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam region on April 22. Speaking to ANI, Nawazuddin, calling the incident "shameful," said he believes the government will ensure that those responsible are punished. (Also Read: Salman Khan postpones UK tour following Pahalgam terror attack: 'Right to pause during this time of grief')
"Of course, there is a lot of anger and sadness. Our government is working, and they will definitely punish those responsible. Jo bhi hua, bohot hi bura hua, sharmnaak hai actually (Whatever happened was wrong, it's actually shameful)," the actor told the news agency.
When asked about the impact of the attack on tourism in the region, Nawazuddin explained that, beyond the financial losses, he noticed that the locals were angry that such an incident occurred on their land. He also shared how tourists always leave with great memories due to the kindness shown by the people of Kashmir.
"Like you said, tourism has been very badly affected. But more than that, after seeing some things myself, I noticed that the local people are very angry. They treat tourists like their own brothers. Jis tarike se Kashmiri welcome karte hain logo ko wo paise se bhi upar ki chiz hoti hain (The way Kashmiris welcome is worth more than money). I cannot explain the amount of love the Kashmiri people have in their hearts for everyone...Whenever people visit Kashmir and return, they always praise the Kashmiris so much, and rightly so," he said.
"But ye jo incident hua hai isko leke unke andar bohot zyada gussa hain ki humare zameen par ye kaise hogaya (But this incident has angered them as to how it happened on our land)," he added
Nawazuddin went on to speak about the unity displayed across India after the ghastly attack, sharing that it is a moment of pride to see people of all religions coming together in such difficult times.
He said, "Is ek incident se pura desh ek ho gaya. Kitni fakr ki baat hai, kitni proud baat hai humare desh mein, chahe Hindu ho, Musalman ho, Sikh ho, Isai ho. Sab aise dukhhad situation mein ek saath aajate hain."(This one incident has brought the whole country together. It is such a proud moment that in times of sadness, whether Hindu, Muslim, Sikh, or Christian, everyone stands together.)
On April 22, terrorists attacked tourists at the Baisaran meadow in Pahalgam, killing 25 Indian nationals and one Nepali citizen while leaving several others injured. The attack was one of the deadliest in the Valley since the 2019 Pulwama strike, in which 40 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) jawans were killed.