Young Kashmiri footballer who joined militant outfit surrenders

The Indian Army and Jammu & Kashmir Police on Friday praised the college student and footballer Majid Irshad who quit the militant outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba and surrendered before security forces on Thursday night.

The top two security officials while lauding Irshad’s decision at a press conference also said that he will now be able to return to normal life very soon, accordi9ng to a report in Times of India.

Earlier, it had been reported that the young college student, a goalkeeper for his local team in Anantnag in south Kashmir, turned to militancy after a close friend was killed in an encounter.

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Major General BS Raju said: “It was a very brave decision ... I would like to complement him and can assure that he will be able to return to normal life very soon.”

Inspector General of Police (IGP) Kashmir Zone Munir Khan attributed the development to the efforts of his parents, friends and the social media “that good sense prevailed upon him (Majid). It is indeed a bold decision.”

Khan also urged all the youths who have taken to militancy to return home.

Irshad walked into a security camp in south Kashmir on Thursday night and surrendered with his arms and ammunition, the officials said. The young student was popular in the area and was previously working with an NGO and had motivated 300 odd youths to work for the charity organization for the good of the people of Kashmir.

The local police who were in touch with his friends and family members, were urging them to put pressure on Irshad to return home. His parents had appeared on television and social media to ask him to surrender.