One time he took film actress Shabana Azmi for a ride around Dal Lake on his motorbike.

CNN: BRAVE AS A LION

On Dal Lake, where tourists once luxuriated on houseboats, soldiers navigate shikara boats.

CNN: BRAVE AS A LION

Along Boulevard Road, scores of houseboats rest gently in the shallow waters of Dal Lake, ready for the tourists who don't come.

CNN: ASIANOW - TIME Asia