J&K Governor sacks cop, 2 others for links with terrorists

The Jammu and Kashmir administration — acting on the orders of L-G Manoj Sinha — has dismissed three government employees for their alleged “terror” links.

According to orders issued by J&K’s General Administration Department (GAD), the dismissed employees are Waseem Ahmad Khan, a Srinagar resident and Junior Assistant in Health and Medical Education Department; Ajaz Ahmed, a Poonch resident and a teacher; and Malik Ishfaq Naseer, a resident of Anantnag in south Kashmir and was working in J&K Police as a constable.

Around 80 government employees have been dismissed on the orders of L-G Manoj Sinha under Article 311 (2)(c) of the Constitution, which allows the administration to dismiss an employee without giving him a chance to explain his/her position. Official sources said the three dismissed employees are currently in “judicial custody”, facing “serious charges under multiple FIRs.”

According to officials, Waseem Ahmad Khan has been allegedly involved in a “series of terror activities”. The police said he is involved in several cases and is lodged at Kote Bhalwal Jail, Jammu, since 2018.

Another employee Ajaz Ahmed from Poonch, is said to be “a close associate of Abid Ramzan Sheikh, a Kashmiri terrorist sitting in Pakistan.”

Sources said from his possession, ammunition was recovered by Poonch police. He is lodged at District Jail Poonch since 2023.

The third employee is Malik Ishfaq Naseer working as a constable. Official sources say that Naseer was recruited as a constable in J&K Police in 2007. His brother Malik Asif Naseer was a Pakistan-trained terrorist of LeT who was killed in 2018. Malik Ishfaq Naseer, however, continued his terror activities… his LeT link was exposed in September 2021 when J&K Police were investigating a case related to smuggling of arms and explosives in Jammu region,” sources added.

On Tuesday, after the orders were issued by J&K authorities, it invited criticism from the People’s Democratic Party and also People’s Conference.

Former Chief Minister and People’s Democratic Party chief Mehbooba Mufti said, “Since 2019, hundreds of employees have been summarily dismissed without even a trial solely based on unproven allegations of so-called terror affiliations.”

“While this iron-fist approach may create a facade of normalcy, genuine sustainable peace can’t be achieved by inflicting suffering on the people. Unfortunately, the elected government watches completely unmoved like a mute bystander,” she wrote on X.

People’s Conference chief and MLA Handwara Sajad Lone said the termination of services of government employees is “unfortunate.” “Time has come to stop this whole practice or retribution. This termination concept has been going on for decades. It has not helped in the past. It will not help in the future,” he said.