J&K L-G Terminates Two More Employees for Terror Links

SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Friday dismissed two more government employees, Khurshid Ahmad Rather and Siyad Ahmad Khan, for their “confirmed” involvement in terror activities.

Invoking Article 311(2)(c) of the Constitution, which permits termination without inquiry in the interest of national security, the duo have been sacked after being accused of violating their service oaths and acting as conduits for terror operations, compromising the integrity of education and government service.

Rather, a teacher in Karnah area of frontier Kupwara district, appointed in 2003 and regularized in 2008, was identified as an Over Ground Worker (OGW) for Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). As per the dismissal order, investigations revealed his role in smuggling arms, ammunition, and narcotics from Pakistan via Lince of Control (LoC) routes in Kupwara. A significant cache of weapons, including AK rifles and pistols, was recovered, and he is currently detained in District Jail Kupwara, the concerned officials said.

Khan, an Assistant Stockman in the Sheep Husbandry Department since 2004, was also linked to LeT, the L-G’s administration claimed. Arrested in January 2024 in Keran (also in Kupwara), while transporting arms, authorities recovered an AK-47 from him, and his associate was found with a pistol and ammunition, the officials said, adding that he was actively coordinating with handlers across the LoC.

The dismissals align with the L-G administration’s policy, which has seen nearly 80 government employees, including teachers and policemen, terminated in recent years for alleged anti-national activities. A Special Task Force (STF), formed in April 2020, identifies and scrutinizes such cases, with a dedicated committee recommending action under Article 311(2)(c).

However, the dismissals have sparked criticism from opposition leaders and activists. Former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti has argued that such measures, affecting hundreds since 2019 without trial, risk escalating tensions rather than fostering peace. Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, Kashmir’s chief cleric and Hurriyat Conference chairman, condemned the terminations as “inhuman and arbitrary,” urging the elected government to address these injustices.

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has also questioned the fairness of such actions, emphasizing that the law presumes innocence until guilt is proven in court, a stance he reiterated in February 2025 when three other officials were sacked for similar reasons.