Omar Abdullah Visits Aligarh To Mourn School Friend's Death; Speaks On Kashmir Situation And PM Modi
Although Abdullah’s visit was completely private, he briefly addressed the media and spoke about the situation and development in J&K.
Published : June 11, 2025 at 7:38 PM IST
Aligarh: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Wednesday visited Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh, to offer condolences to the family of his late school friend Sajid Khan, who recently passed away in the UAE due to a heart attack. Tight security arrangements were put in place ahead of Abdullah’s visit.
Soon after arriving in the city, he drove to Sajid's graveyard in the Ahmadi School Campus and offered Fateha and prayed for the peace of the departed soul.
Although Abdullah’s visit was completely private, he briefly addressed the media and spoke about the situation and development in J&K. He acknowledged that the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack had impacted tourism in the region.
“Efforts are underway to normalise the situation. Our neighbouring country continues to try and destabilise us, but we must strive and succeed in maintaining maximum peace and development in Jammu and Kashmir,” he said.
On the question of the world's tallest Chenab railway bridge being built in Kashmir, Abdullah said that it is a good thing. “At present, there is the world's tallest railway bridge. Our efforts should be made in the same way,” he said.
About the reports of the reservation bill being passed in the Jammu and Kashmir assembly, the J&K CM clarified that the house was not in session, so there was no chance of its passage. “The cabinet subcommittee has prepared its report, which will be discussed once the cabinet meets,” he said.
On the question of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 11-year tenure, Abdullah said, “It is good that people re-elected him. Now it remains to be seen how much work is done in this term?”
More About Sajid Khan
Sajid, who held a senior position at Hotel Taj in the UAE, was a descendant of Aftab Ahmed Khan, former Vice Chancellor of Aligarh Muslim University (AMU).
A resident of Shamshad Market would live at Aftab Manzil here. Khan was buried in Aligarh just a day before Eid-ul-Adha.
Abdullah and Sajid were schoolmates, and the former’s family shares an old and historical connection with AMU, as his grandfather, Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah, was an alumnus of the university, while his father, Farooq Abdullah, had inaugurated the Bab-e-Syed Gate at AMU.
