Anjum Bashir Khan Khattak last week topped the Jammu and Kashmir Public Service Commission exams leaving everybody stunned. Those who know the 27-year-old topper understand just how extraordinary Khattak’s success has been.
This was because, his ancestral house in Poonch district’s Surankote was burnt down by terrorists and the family moved to Jammu.
“In 1990s, Surankote had been in the grip of peak insurgency, and in 1998, my ancestral house was torched by terrorists at Mohra Bachai (in Poonch district’s Surankote),” Khattak told Hindustan Times.
This incident had far-reaching impact on the family’s livelihood even forcing them to uproot themselves from their native place. They decided to move to Jammu.
“The decade of 1990s was disturbed in the entire Jammu and Kashmir, but Pir Panjal, Rajouri and Poonch areas were badly affected because of insurgency and terrorism. The area was not developed, and secondly, there was a threat of insurgency – it was a double trouble for us. We received our primary education there, but when our parents found it difficult to keep us in those circumstances, we migrated from that area and I received rest of my education in Jammu,” he told ANI.
Khattak said that he may have been in class 8 or 9, when he began to aspire for cracking the civil services examinations.
BJP MP Subramanian Swamy said that Khattak topping the the exam despite incredible hardships will have ‘multiplier effect’ on the peace process in the valley adding that youth in the valley wanted a life beyond insurgency.
Dr. Subramanian Swamy Speaks to NewsX on Anjum Bashir Topping the Kashmir civil service exams. @Swamy39 @jagdishshetty pic.twitter.com/3Kbsa43E4Z
— Karur.VN.Mohan (@karurvnmohan) December 20, 2017
Governor NN Vohra has congratulated Khattak lauding his achievement and advising him to work with ‘honesty and sustained devotion to promote the common man’s welfare.’
Khattak’s story has left others inspired. This is how some of them reacted on social media platforms.
An encouraging site. Naeem Akhtar – Minister 4 Public works visits #Kashmir Administrative Service topper Anjum Bashir Khan Khattak & second ranker, Aliya Tabassum at their residences and congratulates thm 4 cracking the state’s civil services exam. pic.twitter.com/gcxVuHtJ4k
— Tahir dhar (@tahir_dhar) December 24, 2017
Terrorist put Anjum Bashir’s House house on fire, but could not burn down his dream!
Anjum Bashir Khan, 27, whose home was at a remote village in Jammu and Kashmir was set on fire by terrorists 18 years ago, has topped the #Kashmir Administrative Service exams.#KashmirWantPeace pic.twitter.com/Zh1u3WHSpL— Kashmir Pride (@kashmirPride) December 23, 2017
Anjum Bashir Khan whose family suffered because of #militancy, but he has excelled by #cracking the #Kashmir #Administrative #Service exams conducted by the #JammuAndKashmir Public Service Commission (JKPSC). He is the batch topper for this #year , 2017 #HappyBirthdaySalmanKhan pic.twitter.com/wlOyliMHLK
— zeenat (@zeenat_mal) December 27, 2017
Anjum Bashir Khan Khattak topped Jammu &Kashmir Public Service Commission. His ancestral home in Mohra Bachai was set on fire&destroyed by terrorists in the 90s when militancy was at its peak.This incident did not destroy his confidence, but motivated him to crack this elite exam pic.twitter.com/88XLtssMmn
— JK Views (@JKviews) December 19, 2017