In a move to bolster national security, the Jammu and Kashmir LG administration has dismissed three government employees, including a police constable, for their alleged connections to Pakistan-backed terrorist outfits. The order was issued by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha under Article 311(2)(c) of the Constitution, which permits dismissal without a departmental inquiry in matters concerning national security.
The terminated individuals are Malik Ishfaq Naseer, a police constable; Ajaz Ahmed, a school teacher; and Waseem Ahmad Khan, a junior assistant at Government Medical College, Srinagar. All three are currently incarcerated as investigations continue.
Malik Ishfaq Naseer, who has been with the Jammu and Kashmir Police since 2007, is accused of collaborating with handlers from the terrorist group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). Security agencies allege that he facilitated arms drops across the Jammu region and used his position to guide GPS-enabled weapon deliveries from across the border, assisting in the transportation of arms to active terrorists in the Kashmir Valley.
Ajaz Ahmed, employed in the School Education Department since 2011, reportedly maintained active communication with operatives of Hizb-ul-Mujahideen (HM) in Poonch. His terror ties were exposed during a routine police check in November 2023, where authorities discovered a cache of weapons, ammunition, and Hizb posters inside his vehicle.
Waseem Ahmad Khan, who has worked at GMC Srinagar since 2007, faces serious allegations of involvement in terrorist logistics. He has been linked to the 2018 assassination of journalist Shujaat Bukhari and his police escorts. Investigators claim that Khan provided safe passage to terrorists following targeted attacks and facilitated assaults on CRPF and local police personnel.
A spokesperson for security agencies 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 aiding terrorists.”
Since the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019, the Jammu and Kashmir administration has dismissed over 75 government employees under similar provisions for links with terror. Authorities have also tightened recruitment protocols, mandating police verification for all new hires in public departments to prevent infiltration by anti-national elements
