Two More J&K Govt. Employees Sacked Over Alleged Terror Links
Farhat Ali Khanday, worker in the Education Department, and Mohammad Shafi Dar, serving in the Rural Development Department were terminated after investigations.
Srinager: The Jammu and Kashmir administration, led by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, has ordered the dismissal of two more government employees for their alleged involvement with Pakistan-backed terror outfits.
According to official sources, the employees—Farhat Ali Khanday, a Class IV worker in the Education Department, and Mohammad Shafi Dar, serving in the Rural Development Department—were terminated after investigations reportedly linked them to Hizb-ul- Mujahideen (HM) and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), respectively.
Officials stated that Khanday had been operating as a key facilitator for the HM, allegedly using his government position as a cover to revive militant networks, channel hawala funds, and support terror cadres. These activities were said to have continued even after he secured bail in earlier terror-related cases. Dar, meanwhile, was identified as an active associate of LeT, accused of providing logistics, shelter, intelligence inputs, and assisting in the recovery of weapons during a joint security operation in April 2025. Both dismissals were carried out under Article 311(2)(c) of the Constitution, which allows termination without an inquiry in cases involving threats to national security.
The latest action is part of the administration’s broader zero-tolerance policy toward what it describes as anti-national activities within government ranks. Over the past few years, more than 90 employees have been dismissed for alleged terror links or activities deemed prejudicial to the security and integrity of the state. A Special Task Force (STF), constituted in April 2020, has been responsible for identifying and scrutinising such cases, with a dedicated committee recommending action under Article 311(2)(c). This policy has led to the removal of over 90 employees, including teachers, revenue officials, engineers, and police personnel.
However, these dismissals have drawn sharp criticism from several political leaders and civil society groups. Former chief minister and People’s Democratic Party president Mehbooba Mufti described the move as part of an “iron fist approach” that, in her view, inflicts suffering on families and undermines long-term peace. She noted that hundreds of employees have been terminated since 2019 on the basis of allegations that have not been tested in court. Mirwaiz Muhammad Umar Farooq, Kashmir’s chief Muslim cleric, also condemned the terminations, calling them arbitrary and “inhuman,” and urging elected representatives to safeguard the rights of affected employees.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has previously questioned the practice of dismissing employees without providing them an opportunity to defend themselves, arguing that the principle of presumed innocence must be upheld. Yet, in response to criticism directed at his party, ruling National Conference spokesperson Imran Nabi Dar pointed out that earlier governments, including those led by the PDP, had also dismissed employees under similar provisions, suggesting that the precedent was set long before the current administration.
