Footballer who shunned militancy sent outside State for education

Srinagar: Majid Khan, 20-year-old footballer who returned home after shunning militancy following a fervent appeal by his parents has been sent outside Jammu and Kashmir by the Indian army to pursue his studies, a media report said today.

Quoting an unnamed defence official, The Tribune reported that Khan was shifted outside for education after his family’s approval.

“Majid wanted to continue his education and the Army facilitated it and shifted him outside the state. He has again taken up his studies,” the official, wishing not to be named, was quoted as saying in the report.

The official, however, didn’t reveal where Khan was sent for studying as “we don’t want to risk the life of the young boy who took a brave decision by returning home.”

A known footballer in Anantnag – his home district – Khan was an undergraduate commerce student and had passed classes X and XII exams with a high grade before joining militancy.


Days after he joined Lashkar-e-Toiba, a video of his mother’s appeal pleading for his return went viral on social media.

While police and army said that they helped in the return of Khan, Lashkar-e-Toiba said that he was permitted to go home on the request of his mother.