Prayers held for quick recovery of Farooq Abdullah

Srinagar: The National Conference held special prayers across Jammu and Kashmir for the speedy recovery of party president Farooq Abdullah, who is undergoing treatment for COVID-19 at the SKIMS hospital here.

The prayer meeting was led by NC general secretary Ali Muhammad Sagar and a huge participation of party functionaries, delegates, workers from the parent body, youth, women’s wing, legal and minority wings, a spokesperson said.

Special prayers for health, well-being and quick recovery of Abdullah were held across the Union territory, with the main prayer meet at party headquarters ‘Nawa-e-Subha’ in Srinagar. Religious scholars prayed for Abdullah’s recuperation, recovery, longevity and well-being, a spokesperson said.

Addressing the functionaries, Sagar said the NC and the people of Jammu and Kashmir need Abdullah to guide them in the struggle for the restoration of their “abridged rights” by walking on the path of truth and non-violence.

“People want him back on his feet to struggle against attempts that are being made for creating an atmosphere of discrimination in society. We need him to champion the cause of the underprivileged and the deprived.

“We need him to provide foresight to the efforts of numerous party men and women to work for the restoration of democracy and protection of the secular and pluralistic visage of Jammu and Kashmir,” he said.

Describing Abdullah as a “peacenik”, Sagar said the NC president’s calls for peace and harmony were never borne out of fear, but pragmatism — “a trait rarely perceptible in the genetic makeup of most of the politicians in southeast Asia”.

“I earnestly pray with all my humility to the Almighty to put our beloved leader on the path of recovery. God willing, he will bounce back and lead us in our struggle to bequeath future generations a peaceful, prosperous and stable future.

“May the Almighty accept our prayers and put our leader on the path of fast recovery,” he said.

Similar prayer meetings were held at all district headquarters across Jammu and Kashmir, where party workers, constituency incharges, district presidents and other delegates prayed for the fast recovery of the Abdullah, the NC spokesperson said.

The 85-year-old NC president tested positive for COVID-19 last week. He was kept in home-isolation initially, but doctors decided to shift him to a hospital on Saturday for better medical care.