Srinagar, Apr 09, KDC: Kashmiri photojournalist Yasir Iqbal has won the prestigious World Press Photo Contest 2026 in the West, Central and South Asia – Singles category for his powerful image capturing grief in conflict-hit Jammu and Kashmir.
The award-winning photograph, titled “A Daughter’s Grief in Kashmir,” depicts 21-year-old Sanam Bashir collapsing in anguish during her mother’s funeral in Uri. Her mother, Nargis Begum (45), died from shrapnel injuries after a mortar shell struck while they were fleeing their home on May 9, 2025.
The image, published by Outlook Magazine as the cover of its May 21, 2025 issue titled “Is It War?”, captured the human cost of a brief but intense escalation between India and Pakistan.
In a post on X, Outlook congratulated Iqbal on the achievement, noting that the issue examined the tense four-day standoff between the two nuclear-armed neighbours that brought them to the brink of open war. The escalation began after India carried out strikes on terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, following the killing of 26 tourists in Pahalgam.
The situation saw four days of airstrikes, drone attacks, and cross-border firing that left dozens dead before both sides agreed to a full and immediate ceasefire.
Outlook also highlighted how sections of Indian television media turned the conflict into a spectacle, with highly dramatized coverage and aggressive studio debates during the crisis.
The World Press Photo jury recognised Iqbal’s image for its emotional depth and storytelling, bringing global attention to the human suffering behind geopolitical tensions. (KDC)
