Gowhar Maqbool
Srinagar: After a ten-day battle for life, 45-year-old Abida Kounsar, a mother of three, succumbed to her injuries at SMHS Hospital on Sunday.
Abida was one of twelve people injured in a grenade explosion that shattered the typical weekend bustle near the Tourist Reception Centre (TRC) in Srinagar’s Sunday Market. What should have been a routine shopping day turned tragic for her family when a grenade, aimed at a CRPF mobile bunker, missed its target and detonated amid the crowded market. Caught in the blast, Abida, wife of Zubair Ahmad Lone, sustained critical injuries and was rushed to SMHS Hospital.
Despite the doctors’ best efforts, Abida passed away on Tuesday after her ten-day struggle.
News of her passing spread quickly, and the community gathered to mourn a woman known for her kindness and resilience. Women were seen beating their chests in grief, remembering Abida as a devoted mother and hardworking wife.
Her elder son, Huzair Zubair (10), visibly devastated, spoke tearfully to this reporter, waiting for his mother’s funeral prayers to be offered.
While speaking to this reporter, 10-year-old Zuhair Zubair, the elder son of Abida Kounsar, who passed away from her injuries on Tuesday, said, “My mom won’t be there for me anymore. Who will help me get ready for school now?” Tears streamed down his face as he spoke.
When asked why so many people were gathered, he softly replied, “It’s my mom’s funeral; they’re waiting to pray for her.” His voice broke, and he struggled to hold back his emotions.
Recalling the tragic incident, Abida’s brother, Waseem Raja, expressed his heartbreak and frustration. “When I reached SMHS Hospital, only 20 minutes after I heard the news, a critical machine was malfunctioning. This delay, along with her severe injuries, caused massive blood loss,” he said. Despite surgery, doctors later confirmed that Abida’s injuries were too severe; the blast had caused a catastrophic brain injury, severely damaging the front lobe of her brain.
“Dr. Abdullah promised full support and even tweeted about it. He mentioned assistance for her children’s rehabilitation. I don’t want money—I only want justice and formal support for her children’s future,” Waseem said.
Waseem voiced his anger over the lack of safety measures, asking, “My sister just took her children to TRC that day. There’s a park there—was it wrong for her to want peace for her children? With today’s technology, why wasn’t the grenade detected? In a place where cameras capture every detail, why was this allowed to happen?”
Appealing for an end to violence, Waseem called on authorities to ensure a secure future for Abida’s children. “We don’t need financial aid, but I don’t want these children left vulnerable, having to seek help from office to office,” he said.
Abida Kounsar is survived by her husband, three children: Huzair Zubair (10), Abeeya Zubair (4), and Mohammad Hafi (2).
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