HAS THE GIFT OF WORDS

Rushdie on mend

Salman Rushdie was conscious and “articulate” while meeting with investigators from his hospital bed in Pennsylvania, just days after he was stabbed at least 10 times, an official said.

The famed author, 75, was taken off a ventilator over the weekend and was able to respond to investigators’ questions, an unnamed law-enforcement official with direct knowledge of the case told CNN Monday.

The official did not say what Rushdie (inset) told authorities about the violent attack, which took place Friday as he was preparing to deliver a lecture at the Chautauqua Institution, about 55 miles south of Buffalo.

Rushdie underwent emergency surgery at UPMC Hamot, where he received treatment for “life-changing” injuries, including nerve damage and the prospect of losing an eye, officials said.

On Sunday, Rushdie’s son Zafar Rushdie provided an update on his dad’s condition, saying his world-renowned father was showing signs of his “feisty and defiant” sense of humor.

“My father remains in critical condition in hospital receiving extensive ongoing medical treatment,” the son said in a statement.

“We are extremely relieved that yesterday he was taken off the ventilator and additional oxygen and he was able to say a few words.”

A New Jersey man identified as 24-year-old Hadi Matar was arrested in connection with Rushdie’s stabbing and pleaded not guilty to charges of attempted murder and assault.

New York State Police said Rushdie was about to begin his scheduled lecture when Matar charged the stage and proceeded to knife the author of “The Satanic Verses,” a book considered blasphemous by Islamic extremists.

During Matar’s arraignment, a prosecutor revealed that Rushdie had been stabbed three times in the neck, four in the stomach, suffered wounds to the right eye and chest and a cut

on the right thigh.

Chautauqua County District Attorney Jason Schmidt described the attack on the award-winning writer as targeted and preplanned.

The anonymous official who spoke to CNN said cops believe Matar took a bus to Buffalo and then used a ride-sharing app to reach Chautauqua the day before the attack.

Investigators do not yet know where Matar spent the night and were reviewing surveillance footage to track his movements.

At the time of his arrest, Matar had in his possession a fake driver’s license, some cash and two gift cards. He asked for an attorney immediately after his arrest, the official said.

Law-enforcement sources told The Post last week that initial investigations suggested Matar had previously posted on social media in support of Iran and its Revolutionary Guard.