E-Paper
J&K LG sacks two govt employees for terror links; nearly 90 terminated since 2019
Action taken under Article 311(2)(c) against staffers accused of working for Hizbul Mujahideen and Lashkar-e-Taiba.
The Jammu and Kashmir administration, led by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, on Wednesday terminated the services of two more government employees for their alleged involvement in reviving terrorism and providing logistical support to the Hizbul Mujahideen and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).
These dismissals, executed under Article 311(2)(c) of the Constitution, bring the total number of staffers sacked for anti-national activities to nearly 90 since the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019.
The constitutional provision allows the dismissal of an employee without a formal inquiry if the President or Governor is satisfied that such a move is in the interest of national security. While the administration maintains the drive is essential to root out terrorists embedded in the state machinery, the ruling National Conference and opposition parties have criticised the move, labelling the terminations a vendetta against locals.
Hizbul operative in education dept
One of the terminated employees was identified as Farhat Ali Khanday, a Class-IV staffer in the education department in Ramban. According to official sources, Khanday used his government position as a cover to build a terrorist network for the Hizbul Mujahideen in the Jammu division.
Khanday first surfaced on the radar of intelligence agencies in 2011 during a hawala probe involving terror funds for the families of killed militants. Though arrested and later released on bail, a 2022 charge sheet and subsequent investigations revealed he continued to act as a facilitator and conduit for the outfit. Officials said his presence within an educational environment while drawing a salary from the exchequer was an “inconceivable betrayal.”
Compassionate appointee turned LeT associate
The second employee, Mohammad Shafi Dar, was a Class-IV staffer in the rural development department in Bandipora. Dar, who was originally appointed on compassionate grounds, was found to be a terror associate of the LeT, providing operational support and sensitive information regarding the deployment of security forces.
Tasked by Pakistan-based handlers to manage safe houses and expand the over ground worker (OGW) network, Dar was apprehended in April 2025 at a joint checkpoint. Security forces recovered an AK-56 rifle and grenades from his possession. Investigators stated that Dar had evolved from a facilitator into an active operational associate plotting attacks on security forces. These latest terminations follow the March 10 dismissal of three jal shakti department employees for similar subversive activities.
