J&K LG dismisses 3 govt employees for links with terror outfits

Srinagar: Continuing action against the terror ecosystem, J&K Lt Governor Manoj Sinha on Tuesday dismissed three government employees for their links with terrorist outfits.

Officials said that in a major crackdown on terror sympathisers embedded in the government system, the Lt Governor dismissed Jammu and Kashmir Police constable Malik Ishfaq Naseer, School Education Department teacher Ajaz Ahmed and Government Medical College, Sringar, junior assistant Waseem Ahmad Khan for their involvement with Pakistan backed terror outfits Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Hizbul Mujahideen (HM).

"The three of them were found to be active terror associates, facilitating arms smuggling, attacks on security forces, and providing logistical support to terrorists. All three are currently in judicial custody," an official said.

The Lt Governor is empowered with the authority to dismiss government employees linked to terrorists in J&K.

These dismissals are carried out without following the usual procedure needed for such action, as special powers vested in the Lt Governor do not require holding the time-consuming procedure detailed otherwise in the service rules.

Under provisions of Article 311(2)(c) of the Constitution, the Lt Governor can bypass the usual procedure whenever the activities of any government employee are found detrimental to the interests of the state and aimed at secession and anti-national activities.

In the past as well, the Lt Governor has dismissed over two dozen government employees linked with terrorism.

Before the abrogation of Article 370, the hold of the state government on its employees was so loose that the government employees' association in Kashmir was also a constituent of the separatist All Party Hurriyat Conference.

The Kashmir Bar Association, the elected body of lawyers, was also a member of the separatist amalgamation.

IANS