Six days ago, when a young man from Anantnag town announced on Facebook that he was joining the militant ranks, it left many in south Kashmir stunned. Because they all recognised the youth carrying an AK 47 — he was Majid Arshid Khan, a promising goalkeeper who, when he was not playing for the local football team, used to work for a well-known charity that provides women and child care, and medical support .

Police said Majid made contact with overground militant workers and was now with the Lashkar-e-Toiba. On Thursday, a day after he showed up with an AK-47 at the funeral of a militant killed in an encounter in Khund, his family, friends and police urged him to return.

Pic Courtesy- India.com

Muneer Ahmad Khan, Inspector General of Police, Kashmir, said: “He (Majid) has become a militant and our endeavour will be that he comes back. Even his family members are trying to get him back. We will second the efforts of the family. Not only Majid, all other youth who have joined militancy, police will do everything to bring them back and rehabilitate. It is our sincere endeavour that these misguided youth come back and join the mainstream.”