Farooq Khan offers Eid prayers at Srinagar mosque

Srinagar: Farooq Khan, an advisor to the governor of Jammu and Kashmir, on Monday offered Eid-al-Adha prayers at a mosque in the city where devotees apprised him about the problems being faced by them due to the restrictions imposed in the state, sources said.

He offered prayers at a mosque in Malting in Dalgate, a location in the interiors of the city. People recounted their day-to-day problems and the IPS officer-turned politician assured them that he will look into the issues, the sources said. He also took some questions from them about the strict restrictions and conveyed that the measures were taken for their betterment.

Khan said the security steps have been taken to ensure that miscreants do not hijack the situation and create a disturbance. When Khan visited, around 1,000 people were offering prayers at the mosque which lasted for over an hour, sources said. He had retired as an inspector general of police in 2013.

Khan, who joined as the fifth adviser to Governor Satyapal Malik recently, has already given up his security, stating he wants to be a part of the people. After the prayers, when asked by journalists about his reaction on the prevailing situation, he said, "Eid Mubarak to all. And I wish peace and prosperity to the people."

The restrictions on movement were imposed in the state and communication links curtailed after the Centre abrogated the special status to Jammu and Kashmir under Article 370 on August 5.

By Sumir Kaul