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{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2020}}
{{Use Indian English|date=April 2018}}{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Farooq Khan
| term_start1 = 6 September 2016
| termend2 = 2013
| office2 = Indian Police Service
| honorific_suffix = [[Indian Police Service|IPS]]
| occupation = [[Indian Police Service|Civil Servant]]
| nationality = Indian
| birth_place =
| birth_date = 1955
| term_end1 = 18 July 2019
| primeminister1 =
| image = File:Advisor to the Lt. Governor J&K, Shri Farooq Khan addressing during the Valedictory Session on 1 December 2019.jpg
| succeeded1 = [[Mihir Vardhan]]
| preceded1 = Vijay Kumar
| office1 = [[List of administrators of Lakshadweep|Administrator of Lakshadweep]]
| term_end =
| term_start = 16 July 2019
| succeeded =
| preceded =
| office = Advisor to [[Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir]]
| termstart2 = 1984
| known_for = Creating the JKP anti-militancy Task Force or Special Task Force in 1994; later known as [[Special Operations Group (India)|Special Operations Group]] (SOG)
| caption = Farooq Khan in December 2019
}}
'''Sardar Farooq Khan''' (born 1955) is an Indian politician and former police officer who served with the [[Indian Police Service]] (IPS). He retired in 2013 as [[Inspector-general of police|Inspector General of Police]] (IGP), Jammu and head of the Sher-I-Kashmir Police Academy at [[Udhampur]].<ref name=":2">{{Cite news|date=17 August 2016|title=Former J&K top cop Farooq Khan is new Administrator of Lakshadweep|work=The Economic Times|url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/former-jk-top-cop-farooq-khan-is-new-administrator-of-lakshadweep/articleshow/53741858.cms?from=mdr|access-date=9 August 2020}}</ref><ref name=":3">{{cite web|date=31 March 2014|title=Farooq Khan profile|url=http://www.kashmirlife.net/farooq-khan0406-57438/|access-date=9 August 2020|website=Kashmir Life}}</ref> Khan is known for the creation of the Jammu and Kashmir Police (JKP) Special Task Force (STF) as well as being its first head in 1995; STF would later go on to be renamed as the [[Special Operations Group (India)|Special Operations Group (SOG)]].<ref name=":2" />

He joined [[Bharatiya Janata Party]] (BJP) in 2014 and was appointed the national secretary of the party in June 2015. He also served as the [[List of Administrators of Lakshadweep|32nd Administrator]] of [[Lakshadweep]] till July 2019. Following this he was advisor to governor [[Satya Pal Malik]], after which he was an advisor to the first [[Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir]] and currently holds the position.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news|date=16 July 2019|title=Former IGP Farooq Khan joins as advisor to J-K governor|work=Business Standard India|agency=PTI|url=https://www.business-standard.com/article/pti-stories/former-igp-farooq-khan-joins-as-advisor-to-j-k-governor-119071601317_1.html|access-date=9 August 2020}}</ref>

== Background ==
Farooq is a Dogri-speaking [[Punjabi Muslims|Punjabi Muslim]] of the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir.<ref name=":5">{{cite web|last=Mathew|first=Liz|date=5 July 2015|title=BJP gets another Muslim face in Farooq Khan|url=http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-others/bjp-gets-another-muslim-face-in-farooq-khan/|access-date=10 August 2020|website=The Indian Express}}</ref> Farooq comes from a police background, his father, Sardar Mohammed Sarwar Khan, was also a police officer, who retired as a Superintendent of Police.<ref name=":6">{{Cite web|date=3 December 2016|title=LG of Lakshadweep Farooq Khan bereaved|url=https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/archive/j-k/lg-of-lakshadweep-farooq-khan-bereaved-331946|access-date=10 August 2020|website=Tribuneindia News Service|language=en}}</ref> His mother is Khalida Begum; and he has one brother and two sisters.<ref name=":6" /> His grandfather, Colonel Peer Mohammad, was the first state president of the Jammu and Kashmir [[Jana Sangh|Bharatiya Jana Sangh]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Former J&K IGP joins BJP|url=http://www.hindustantimes.com/chandigarh/former-igp-joins-bjp/article1-1200635.aspx|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150715193133/http://www.hindustantimes.com/chandigarh/former-igp-joins-bjp/article1-1200635.aspx|url-status=dead|archive-date=15 July 2015}}</ref> As part of [[Hari Singh]]'s Dogra army, Colonel Peer Mohammad also had a major role in the [[Indo-Pakistani War of 1947–1948]].<ref name=":3" />

== Life ==

=== Career in police ===

==== Creation of JKP Special Operations Group ====
Khan was first part of the Kashmir Police Service in 1984, and went on to get his first field posting as [[Sub-Divisional Police Officer]] in [[Bhaderwah]] in 1986.{{Sfn|Bloeria|2016|p=204|loc=Chapter 18}} In the 1990s, militancy in Kashmir was at a peak. State institutions including those for law and order enforcement barely functioned. In mid-1993, the force saw indiscipline in the form of a strike in [[Police control room|PCR]] Srinagar. Farooq Khan, a junior Superintendent of Police at the time, was one of the officers responsible for building up the police force again.{{Sfn|Bloeria|2016|p=204|loc=Chapter 18}} It was only in November 1993 when the police started taking an effective part in counter-insurgency operations in the region along with the other security forces.{{Sfn|Bloeria|2016|p=204|loc=Chapter 18}} It was at this time when the JKP felt the need for creating an elite unit with commando like capabilities that could perform counter-terrorism operations. The concept was of "involving the passive Jammu and Kashmir Police in anti-terrorist activities and giving a local face to these operations".<ref name=":32" /> This group would be called the JKP anti-militancy Task Force or Special Task Force. The STF would later be renamed the [[Special Operations Group (India)|Special Operations Group]].{{Sfn|Bloeria|2016|p=205|loc=Chapter 18}}<ref name=":2" /> Khan was the first head of STF in 1994. Khan had the backing of the Director-General of Police at the time, M.N. Sabharwal.<ref name=":8">{{Cite web|last=Swami|first=Praveen|author-link=Praveen Swami|date=9 May 1998|title=Tackling terror|url=https://frontline.thehindu.com/the-nation/article30161404.ece|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200812122020/https://frontline.thehindu.com/the-nation/article30161404.ece|archive-date=12 August 2020|access-date=12 August 2020|website=Frontline|language=en}}</ref> The first time the STF tasted success was in a joint operation with the [[Punjab Regiment (India)|26 Punjab Regiment]] in which three Al-Fatah militants were killed in October 1994.<ref name=":8" /> In 1995, the STF had only one Srinagar based unit headed by Farooq Khan but the concept was soon expanded following its "spectacular successes" in the valley.{{Sfn|Bloeria|2016|p=205|loc=Chapter 18}}<ref name=":32">{{Cite web|last=Assad|first=Bashir|date=25 July 2019|title=Lead Role of JK Police, Synergy in Anti-Terrorist Operations|url=https://www.vifindia.org/article/2019/july/25/lead-role-of-jk-police-synergy-in-anti-terrorist-operations|access-date=12 August 2020|website=VIF India|language=en}}</ref>

In 1994, Khan had shifted to the [[Indian Police Service]].<ref name=":0" /> As an IPS officer in-charge of the STF he had an important part in the clearing of the [[Hazratbal Shrine]] in March 1996. [[Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front]] (JKLF) militants had laid siege to the shrine and had taken hostages. After a three-day standoff, nine militants and two policemen were killed while 20 militants surrendered.<ref>{{Cite web|date=27 December 2019|others=PTI|title=Farooq Khan visits historic Hazratbal shrine, offers prayers and interacts with people|url=https://www.outlookindia.com/newsscroll/farooq-khan-visits-historic-hazratbal-shrine-offers-prayers-and-interacts-with-people/1695320|access-date=10 August 2020|website=Outlook India}}</ref> Some time later, Indian security forces went on to kill 22 militants who were holed up in the shrine.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Joshi|first=Binoo|date=31 March 1996|title=Indian Troops Kill 22 Militants in Battle Outside Famed Shrine|url=https://apnews.com/ea032cf1348adee8e620bbd7269deb1c|access-date=9 August 2020|website=AP NEWS}}</ref> Under Farooq Khan's STF, with the support of other security agencies including the Army, the counter-insurgent pro-government militia [[Ikhwan (Kashmir)|Ikhwanul Muslimoon]] (Ikhwan),{{Efn|Ikhwanul Muslimoon was a breakaway of Ikhwan ul Muslimeen<ref>{{cite news |last1=Mehraj |first1=Irfan |last2=Manecksha |first2=Freny |title=The Life and Death of a Pro-Government Militant in Kashmir |url=https://thewire.in/politics/rashid-billa-kashmir-ikhwan |access-date=10 August 2020 |work=The Wire |date=5 May 2017}}</ref>|name=|group=}} started by [[Kuka Parray]], was strengthened and together they killed more than 2000 militants.<ref name=":4" /> Khan's STF and the Army have been given credit for making possible the first elections in the 1990s in the region - the [[1996 Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly election]] and the [[1996 Indian general election in Jammu and Kashmir]].<ref name=":4" /> Khan was also part of operations against militants who had [[2002 Raghunath temple attacks|attacked]] the [[Raghunath Temple]], [[Jammu]] and [[Panjbakhtar Temple]], Jammu in late 2002.<ref>{{Cite web|date=14 July 2019|title=Farooq Khan appointed advisor to Jammu and Kashmir Governor|url=https://www.thestatesman.com/india/farooq-khan-appointed-advisor-jammu-kashmir-governor-1502777691.html|access-date=10 August 2020|website=The Statesman|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Swami|first=Praveen|date=20 December 2002|title=An outrage in Jammu|url=https://frontline.thehindu.com/the-nation/article30247091.ece|access-date=10 August 2020|website=Frontline|language=en}}</ref>

==== Chattisinghpora, Pathribal, and Barakpora case ====
When Farooq Khan was a Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), [[Anantnag district|Anantnag]], he was suspended for two years in 2003 for his alleged role in [[Chattisinghpora, Pathribal, and Barakpora massacres|Pathribal fake encounter]] on 25 March 2000.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":3" /> In the encounter, the Indian Army claimed to have killed 5 militants responsible for the [[Chittisinghpura massacre|killing of 36 Sikhs in Chattisinghpora]] village, Anantnag, on 20 March 2000. In a related incident on 3 April 2000, 8 demonstrators were killed by SOG men in [[Brakpora]], Anantnag.<ref name=":4">{{Cite web|last=Fayyaz|first=Ahmed Ali|date=17 July 2019|title=BJP Govt Sends J&K's Own 'KPS Gill' To Home State – With A Purpose|url=https://www.thequint.com/voices/opinion/appointment-of-jammu-kashmir-advisor-to-governor-farooq-khan-anti-terrorism|access-date=10 August 2020|website=TheQuint|language=en}}</ref> [[Farooq Abdullah]] set up a commission to look into the incidents. The Kuchai Commission, under retired Justice GA Kuchai of [[Jammu and Kashmir High Court]],<ref name=":4" /> found SSP Farooq Khan responsible for falsifying the DNA reports of the victims. The commission submitted its report in December 2002.<ref name=":1" /> Following this another commission, the Justice SR Pandian commission, a retired Supreme Court judge, looked into the case, and while it again found multiple people guilty, it found that Farooq was not involved in the killings or in fudging of DNA.<ref name=":4" /> After more public outrage, the case was handed to the [[Central Bureau of Investigation]] (CBI) which started its investigation on 14 February 2003. In 2006 the CBI filed its chargesheet holding seven soldiers of [[Rashtriya Rifles|Rashtriya Rifles 7th battalion]] responsible for the Pathribal fake encounter.<ref name=":4" /> Now that Farooq Khan was absolved by charges by both the Pandian commission and the CBI investigation, he was reinstated into the police force.<ref name=":1">{{cite news|date=15 September 2005|title=Pathribal incident: IPS officer reinstated after clean chit|work=Outlook|agency=Press Trust of India|url=https://www.outlookindia.com/newswire/story/pathribal-incident-ips-officer-reinstated-after-clean-chit/323020|access-date=10 August 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last1=Ahmad|first1=Mukthar|last2=Peer|first2=Basharat|last3=Singh|first3=Onkar|last4=Jafri|first4=Syed Amin|title=I don't need DNA tests to identify my son|url=http://www.suryakumari.com/kashmir/dna.html|access-date=9 August 2020|website=Surya Kumari Upadhyayula - Kashmir}}</ref> Khan had also approached the [[Central Administrative Tribunal]] as well as the [[Jammu and Kashmir High Court]] for justice, after which the [[Ministry of Home Affairs (India)|Ministry of Home Affairs]] cleared his name.<ref name=":1" /> In the end no one was found guilty for the three incidents after the Army fought the case in the [[Supreme Court of India]].<ref name=":4" />

Khan retired as IGP Jammu and as the head of the [[Sher-e-Kashmir Police Academy]], [[Udhampur]].<ref name=":2" />

=== Joined Bharatiya Janata Party ===
Khan joined the [[Bharatiya Janata Party]] (BJP) on 26 March 2014, before the [[2014 Indian general election]]s, during a political rally in [[Hiranagar]], [[Kathua district]] in the presence of [[Narendra Modi]].<ref>{{cite news|date=19 June 2015|title=BJP elevates retd top cop to national team|newspaper=The Tribune|location=India|url=http://www.tribuneindia.com/news/jammu-kashmir/politics/bjp-elevates-retd-top-cop-to-national-team/95545.html|access-date=24 April 2018}}</ref> In June 2015 he was appointed national secretary of the [[Bharatiya Janata Party]]. Farooq, apart from being a BJP spokesperson,<ref>{{cite news |last1=Rai |first1=Siddhartha |title=Hurriyat has a replacement for Geelani in Masarat: J-K BJP spokesperson |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/mail-today/story/jammu-kashmir-masarat-alam-syed-ali-shah-geelani-bjp-249645-2015-02-14 |work=India Today |date=14 February 2015 |language=en}}</ref> has also been in-charge of BJP Minority Morcha and BJP's affairs in farthest North-Eastern state of Nagaland. Khan has also commented on the [[Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh]] (RSS), calling RSS "leaders disciplined and dedicated" and justifies his support by saying "What’s wrong in standing for Hindutva? Are there not organisations that stand for Islam, Christianity? Just because Hindus are majority, you cannot say standing for them is a crime."<ref name=":5" />

=== Administrator of Lakshadweep ===
Khan was the [[List of Administrators of Lakshadweep|32nd Administrator]] of the Union Territory of [[Lakshadweep]] between September 2016 and July 2019.<ref>{{cite web|last=Raafi|first=Muhammad|date=5 July 2015|title=Task Force Founder is BJP's Nagaland Minority Morcha Incharge|url=http://www.kashmirlife.net/task-force-founder-is-bjps-nagaland-minority-morcha-incharge-81687/|website=Kashmir Life}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/Muslims-for-Narendra-Modi-and-Narendra-Modi-for-Muslims-Farooq-Khan/articleshow/32918254.cms|title=Muslims for Narendra Modi and Narendra Modi for Muslims: Farooq Khan|work=The Economic Times|agency=Press Trust of India|date=29 March 2014}}</ref> He arrived in Lakshadweep on 12 September 2016.<ref>{{Cite web|date=12 September 2016|title=Rousing reception accorded to Lakshadweep Administrator|url=https://www.dailyexcelsior.com/rousing-reception-accorded-lakshadweep-administrator/|access-date=10 August 2020|website=Daily Excelsior|language=en-US}}</ref> As Lakshadweep Administrator, he was in-charge of relief work after cyclones hit the islands in 2017.<ref>{{Cite web|date=4 December 2017|others=PTI|title=Centre has assured all help to cyclone battered island, says Lakshadweep Administrator Farooq Khan|url=https://www.financialexpress.com/india-news/centre-has-assured-all-help-to-cyclone-battered-island-says-lakshadweep-administrator-farooq-khan/960505/|access-date=10 August 2020|website=The Financial Express|language=en-US}}</ref> He inaugurated the "Lakshadweep District Panchayat Bhavan" as well as the "Annual Academic Conference of Principal and Headmasters."<ref name=":7">{{Cite news|date=14 November 2018|title=Hon'ble Administrator Inaugurated Distric[t] Panchayat Bhavan/ Annual Academic Conference of Principals and Headmasters|work=The Lakshadweep Times|location=Kavaratti|url=https://cdn.s3waas.gov.in/s358238e9ae2dd305d79c2ebc8c1883422/uploads/2018/11/2018111542.pdf|access-date=10 August 2020}}</ref> As part of other routine functions of the Administrator, he also hurled the flag on the formation day of Lakshadweep on 1 November.<ref name=":7" /> Under Farooq Khan, the "branding of Lakshadweep" was pushed, with the aim of marketing products from Lakshadweep to the world.<ref>{{Cite web|date=29 December 2016|others=PTI|title=Lakshadweep eyeing branding route to market exotic products|url=https://telanganatoday.com/lakshadweep-branding-market|access-date=10 August 2020|website=Telangana Today|language=en-US}}</ref> The foundation stone of the "world’s first ever Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) Powered Desalination Project" was laid in Kavaratti by Union Minister Harsh Vardhan in the presence of Farooq Khan.<ref>{{Cite news|date=25 October 2018|title=Hon'ble Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan laid the foundation stone for the World's first ever Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) Powered Desalination Project in Kavaratti|work=The Lakshadweep Times|url=https://cdn.s3waas.gov.in/s358238e9ae2dd305d79c2ebc8c1883422/uploads/2018/10/2018102959.pdf|access-date=10 August 2020}}</ref>

=== Advisor to JK Governor/ Lieutenant Governor ===
On 13 July 2019, Farooq Khan was appointed as the fifth advisor to the then Governor of Jammu and Kashmir, [[Satya Pal Malik]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=Khajuria|first=Amit|date=13 July 2019|title=Farooq Khan is 5th Adviser to Guv|url=https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/archive/j-k/farooq-khan-is-5th-adviser-to-guv-801647|access-date=10 August 2020|website=Tribuneindia News Service|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=12 July 2019|title=Farooq Khan taking over as Chief Security Advisor|url=https://www.greaterkashmir.com/news/front-page-2/farooq-khan-taking-over-as-chief-security-advisor/|access-date=10 August 2020|website=Greater Kashmir|language=en-US}}</ref> Farooq Khan was the first advisor to Governor Satya Pal Malik to request withdrawal of his security convoy.<ref>{{Cite web|date=18 July 2019|others=PTI|title=Withdraw my security convoy: Adviser to J-K Governor writes to the police chief|url=https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/withdraw-my-security-convoy-adviser-to-j-k-governor-writes-to-the-police-chief-1571053-2019-07-18|access-date=10 August 2020|website=India Today|language=en}}</ref> Following this he was adviser to Lieutenant Governor [[G. C. Murmu]],<ref>{{Cite web|last=PTI|date=26 December 2019|title=Kashmir not a place of terrorism: Advisor to Jammu & Kashmir L-G Murmu calls Bollywood|url=https://theprint.in/india/kashmir-not-a-place-of-terrorism-advisor-to-jammu-kashmir-l-g-murmu-calls-bollywood/341138/|access-date=10 August 2020|website=ThePrint|language=en-US}}</ref> and then Lieutenant Governor [[Manoj Sinha]].<ref>{{Cite news|others=PTI|date=7 August 2020|title=Dialogue with people will start soon, there should be peace in J&K, says new LG Manoj Sinha|language=en-IN|work=The Hindu|url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/manoj-sinha-takes-oath-as-lieutenant-governor-of-jammu-and-kashmir/article32292621.ece|access-date=10 August 2020|issn=0971-751X}}</ref> As advisor, his official role is related to "food civil supplies and consumer affairs, social welfare, tribal affairs, labour and employment, youth services and sports, election and Haj and [[Auqaf]]" among other things.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Present Advisors to Lieutenant Governor|url=https://jkgad.nic.in/leftMenu/AdviserToGovnment.aspx|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200513010333/https://jkgad.nic.in/leftMenu/AdviserToGovnment.aspx|archive-date=13 May 2020|access-date=11 August 2020|website=General Administration Department. Government Of Jammu & Kashmir}}</ref>

== Recognition ==
Khan is a recipient of the [[President's Police Medal|President's medals for gallantry, bravery and distinguished service]]. He has also been given commendations by the Indian Army and other agencies.<ref name=":2" />

==See also==
* [[Shesh Paul Vaid]]

== Notes ==
{{Notelist}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

=== Bibliography ===
{{refbegin|}}
*{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gIkvDAAAQBAJ|title=The Men Who Served Jammu & Kashmir|last=Bloeria|first=Dr. Sudhir S.|publisher=Vij Books India Pvt Ltd|year=2016|isbn=9789385563287|location=India|pages=204–208}}
{{refend}}

== Further reading ==

* [https://cdn.s3waas.gov.in/s358238e9ae2dd305d79c2ebc8c1883422/uploads/2018/11/2018111542.pdf The Lakshadweep Times (14 November 2018)] - For information about Farooq Khan in Lakshadweep.

{{DEFAULTSORT:Khan, Farooq}}
[[Category:Administrators of Lakshadweep]]
[[Category:Indian Muslims]]
[[Category:People from Jammu and Kashmir]]
[[Category:Indian Police Service officers]]
[[Category:Bharatiya Janata Party politicians from Jammu and Kashmir]]
[[Category:Advisor to Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir]]
[[Category:Advisor to Governor of Jammu and Kashmir]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:1955 births]]

Farooq Khan - Revision history

->GreenC bot at 01:22, 9 August 2021