The Jammu and Kashmir administration on Tuesday dismissed three government employees for their alleged ties with Pakistan-backed militant outfits Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Hizb-ul-Mujahideen (HM). The order was issued by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha under Article 311(2)(c) of the Constitution, which allows for dismissal without departmental inquiry in matters related to national security.
The sacked individuals include Malik Ishfaq Naseer, a police constable; Ajaz Ahmed, a government school teacher; and Waseem Ahmad Khan, a junior assistant at Government Medical College, Srinagar. All three are currently behind bars.
According to security agencies, Malik Ishfaq Naseer, who joined the J&K Police in 2007, was closely working with LeT handlers and had facilitated arms drops across the Jammu region. Investigations revealed that he used his position to guide GPS-enabled weapon deliveries from across the border and assisted in transporting arms to active militants in the Valley.
Ajaz Ahmed, who was serving in the School Education Department since 2011, reportedly maintained active contact with Hizb-ul-Mujahideen operatives in Poonch. His militant links came to light in November 2023 when police intercepted his vehicle during a routine check and found a cache of weapons, ammunition, and Hizb posters inside his Toyota Fortuner.
Waseem Ahmad Khan, a staffer at GMC Srinagar since 2007, has been accused of playing a significant role in militant logistics. Notably, security officials linked him to the 2018 killing of journalist Shujaat Bukhari and his police guards. Investigators say Khan provided safe passage to militants after targeted attacks and facilitated multiple assaults on CRPF and local police personnel.
Security sources, said, “These dismissals are part of a broader effort to identify and remove elements who pose a threat from within the system. We cannot allow government machinery to be misused by those helping militants.”
Since the abrogation of Article 370, over 75 government employees in Jammu and Kashmir have been terminated under the same constitutional provision for alleged militant links. Authorities have also tightened recruitment protocols, making police verification mandatory for all new hires in public departments. [KNT]
