Former top cop and BJP leader Farooq Khan took over as Advisor to Governor Satya Pal Malik on Tuesday.
Khan, the Governor’s fifth advisor, is expected to focus onsecurity and strategic affairs in keeping with the work he has done in thestate in the past. “I am honoured and thankful that the Prime Minister andHome Minister gave me this task and I am sure that I will be able to perform tothe best of my abilities,” the retired IPS officer told PTI.
The other Advisors to the Governor are K Vijay Kumar, KSikandan, KhursheedGanai and K K Sharma.
Khan met the Governor soon after taking over and discussedissues related to development and security in the state, officials said.
Officials privy to developments added that Khan, 65, enjoysthe confidence of Prime Minister NarendraModi and Home Minister Amit Shah andwill be making changes in strategies to curb militancy in the state. Heresigned recently as administrator in the union territory of Lakshadweep.
After his retirement in 2013 as an IGP and head of theSher-e-Kashmir Police Academy in Udhampur, Khan joined the BJP in 2014. He wasprobably the only leader who was made national secretary of the BJP and alsomade in-charge of Northeast. Khan is arecipient of President’s police medal for meritorious service and manycommendations by the Army and other security agencies.