ISLAMABAD (Urdu Times) Amid chaos & anger, one woman’s courage shines: Zobia Khurshid Raja’s heroic rescue during AJK unrest

ISLAMABAD (Urdu Times) Amid chaos & anger, one woman’s courage shines: Zobia Khurshid Raja’s heroic rescue during AJK unrest
BAGH: A young woman named Zobia Khurshid Raja, in the heart of chaos, where fear and fury collided, stood as a symbol of compassion and courage. When tempers flared and crowds turned violent during the recent protests in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, Zobia risked her own life to save another – a wounded police officer caught in the crossfire of unrest.
It was the afternoon of October 1, when violence erupted in Dhirkot’s Chamyati area during the Joint Awami Action Committee’s protest, leading to the deaths of five people including three police officers and leaving many others injured. Amid the confusion and communication blackout, few details emerged until days later, when videos surfaced on social media showing an angry mob attacking a car outside the District Headquarters Hospital in Bagh. That car belonged to Zobia.
“I heard people shouting, ‘She’s brought a policeman – hit her!’” she recalled with composure that still belies the terror of that moment. “They were furious, saying the police had fired at their people and stopped the wounded from getting treatment.”
Zobia, a resident of Dhirkot, had rushed to the local hospital earlier that day, anxious about her family members participating in the protest. When she arrived, she found chaos – injured civilians and police officers lying side by side, doctors and volunteers struggling to keep up, and desperate calls echoing through the hospital for help transporting a critically injured man to Bagh.
“There was no ambulance,” she said. “Someone announced that a heart patient needed to be shifted immediately or he would die. I didn’t think twice – I offered my car.”
Unbeknownst to her, the patient she was rescuing was a police officer. When Zobia reached the emergency gate of the Bagh hospital, she found herself surrounded by a furious crowd.
“People had gathered in huge numbers. As soon as someone shouted that I had brought a policeman, the mob rushed toward me with sticks, rods, and stools,” she recounted. “They smashed my car’s windows, but I stayed calm. I stepped out holding the flag of Kashmir and said loudly, ‘This is the respect for our flag – attacking someone who came to save a life?’”
Her voice – steady and defiant – broke through the anger. Some bystanders stepped forward, shielding her from the mob and ensuring her safety.
Behind the scenes, doctors and volunteers at the hospital confirmed the panic that gripped the facility that day. “We received 45 injured people on October 1, most of them civilians,” said a senior doctor from the District Headquarters Hospital Bagh. “As tensions rose, even the police stationed for security had to withdraw. We had to rely on local volunteers to protect both patients and staff.”
One of those volunteers, Raja Saqib Kabir, described how locals united to save lives despite the chaos. “People were furious, but we kept reminding them that saving lives comes first – whether the injured were civilians or police,” he said. “Many locals donated blood that day. Zobia’s act gave everyone hope that humanity can still prevail even in the darkest moments.”
The protests, which erupted across Pakistan-administered Kashmir from September 29 to October 4, stemmed from a 38-point charter of demands by the Joint Awami Action Committee. The unrest led to at least 10 deaths and over 300 injuries before an agreement was reached with Islamabad’s negotiation team in Muzaffarabad to end the demonstrations.
Amid the violence and grief, Zobia’s story stands apart – a reminder that courage is not the absence of fear, but the decision to act despite it.
“I only did what anyone should do,” she said quietly. “That day, it wasn’t about politics or sides – it was about saving a human life.”
In a time when divisions run deep, Zobia Khurshid Raja’s bravery has become a rare beacon of unity – one woman’s act of humanity reminding an entire region what it means to stand for life over rage.