Srinagar- The Jammu and Kashmir administration has sacked three more employees, including the Kashmir University PRO, for being a “threat to the security of the state”.
They have been terminated under Article 311(2)(C) of the Constitution which allows the government to terminate an employee without conducting an inquiry. The latest move comes less than a month after the government terminated the services of two doctors, allegedly involved in the 2009 Shopian rape-murder controversy, under the same law.
The three employees have been identified as PRO Kashmir University Faheem Aslam, revenue department officer Murawath Hussain Mir and police constable Arshid Ahmad Thoker, officials said.
The official reports said the services of the three have been terminated due to a number of charges, including for allegedly working with Pakistan-based militant outfits, providing logistics to terrorists, propagating terror ideology, raising finances for terrorists and furthering a secessionist agenda.
In three separate orders, the J&K administration said the Lieutenant Governor is satisfied after considering the facts and circumstances of the case and on the basis of the information available, the activities of the three are such that warrant their dismissal from service.
The Lieutenant Governor is satisfied under sub-clause (c) of the proviso to clause (2) of Article 311 of the Constitution of India that in the interest of the security of the state, it is not expedient to hold enquiry in the case of the three, the orders issued by the Commissioner/Secretary to the government, General Administration Department, said.
Accordingly, the Lieutenant Governor hereby dismisses the three from service, with immediate effect, they said.
Aslam is a “diehard secessionist” who not only subscribes to and endorses the secessionist ideology, but has been a key propagandist for militants and terror outfits in the Kashmir Valley, sources quoting investigators said on Monday.
The sources privy to the investigation said findings have revealed that several of Aslam’s social media posts demonstrated his hatred for the country and mentioned the security forces as “Indian Occupational Forces”.
Quoting investigators, sources said, Aslam, was planted in Kashmir University in August 2008 by a terror-separatists kingpin as a contractual employee and subsequently he was confirmed.
“He was designated as media reporter by the University to keep the secessionist-terrorist campaign alive because the University campus was known as one of the epicentres of secessionist activism and an important breeding ground for terrorism as well,” they said.
These sources further said that investigation will be launched to nab the kingpin of ‘terror-separatists syndicate’, who is said to have operated as a close aide of Shabir Shah before venturing into legitimate business with seed money received from Pakistan’s spy agency ISI.
Investigators have found, according to these sources, Aslam’s appointment was done without any public advertisement, interview and police verification.
“In complete violation of constitutional requirement of affording equal opportunity to all similarly placed persons for a position funded by public exchequer, he was issued with an appointment letter without holding any interview or any competition or police/CID verification. Simply put, he was clandestinely allowed to enter into public employment through a backdoor,” they said.
Aslam, they said, had come to be a publicly known “secessionist-terrorist campaigner” and who by virtue of his write-ups in a local newspaper and social media posts made it abundantly clear that his loyalty lies with Pakistan.
Quoting investigators, these sources said that Aslam had deleted several posts, which campaigned for secession of J&K and its merger with Pakistan, after abrogation of Article 370. These posts have been retrieved during the course of investigation, they further said.
“These posts depict beyond doubt that he is a hardcore Pak Embedded High Value Asset (PEHVA) of Terror Outfits, responsible for promoting and glamorising terrorism,” investigators have found, they added.
They also pointed out a series of posts to substantiate claims that Aslam was involved in anti-national activities.
In one of his posts on Facebook, sources said, Aslam wrote on 23 May 2020 which is quoted as under:
“Nothing can ever change one reality; Kashmir will always observe Eid with Pakistan, ALWAYS! That’s for Pakistan, not Kashmiris. We will go with Pakistan. Let Pakistan decide who they want to go with: Choudhary sb or Mufti sb”.
In another social media post Faheem Aslam writes;
“May Allah [SWT] ease the sufferings of Muslims across the globe, especially in Palestine, Kashmir and Pakistan. May the occupation end and occupiers burn in hell. May Allah accept the sacrifices of martyrs, and may Gaza and Kashmir see the dawn of freedom soon. [Ameen]”.
“Aslam minced no words in demonstrating his hatred for the country and mentioning brave security forces as Indian Occupational Forces”, they said.
“Despite the fact that Faheem Aslam has deleted several of his social media posts which were in hundreds wherein he propagated and promoted terrorism day in and day out, it still is in the common knowledge in Kashmir valley that he has been the biggest narrative terrorist especially in between 2008-2018,” they said.
According to sources, while drawing salary from state exchequer, Aslam was simultaneously taking salary from a leading local newspaper since 2008 while he had not taken permission from the University to work with the newspaper.
Available records, according to investigators, suggest that he had been a permanent staffer of the newspaper filing reports and functioning as a full time sub-editor.”
“The fact is Faheem Aslam being implicitly allowed to simultaneously work in the daily newspaper by the University administration is itself strong evidence of the clout he enjoyed,” they said.
Leveling serious charges, of him playing a “huge role as an activist, secessionist-narrative peddler and organiser in violent agitations of 2008, 2010 and 2016”, the investigators, according to these sources have found him being on the forefront of these agitations in planning and organising demonstrations especially in Kashmir University campus.”
The sacked KU PRO, they said, would often figure in newspaper photographs and other audio-visual media bytes, which stands deleted from the internet as on date. Aslam, they said, is still influencing young boys and girls towards secessionism who study or seek admission in Kashmir University.
Giving details of the sacked policeman, sources said that Arshid Ahmad Thoker was recruited as a constable in Jammu and Kashmir Police, first in Armed Police in 2006 and later in Executive Police in 2009.
After completing his Basic Recruitment Training Course (BRTC) at Lethpora police training centre, he ‘managed’ his transfer to District Srinagar and remained mostly attached as PSO/ Driver with different police/civil officers and protectees.
“Arshid came in contact with a hardcore Over Ground Worker (OGW) of Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) terror outfit Mushtaq Ahmad Ganie, aka RK, son of Mohammad Kamal Ganie resident of Sheikhpora Wathoora, Budgam,” sources said.
Mushtaq, they said, introduced Arshid to JeM network and thus he became an indispensable conduit and logistic supporter for this dreaded terrorist outfit in Budgam and Pulwama, especially in Chadoora-Kakapora axis.
“By his association with JeM network, Arshid’s belief in terror ideology got further strengthened. He became more emboldened to take risks to support terrorism, without caring for adverse impact on his police duties. Instead he took full advantage of his police identity to escape police and security forces naka points. He had absolute clarity about his twin goals. Firstly, financing terrorism to which he was ideologically committed. Secondly, to earn illegal money through narcotic trade, to satisfy his greed,” sources said.
On May 31, 2020, they said, Thoker was arrested with five terrorists by a joint team of police, CRPF and army from a checkpoint that was established near Dooniwari Bridge in Chadoora on a specific information about the movement of terrorists in the area of Wathoora and Dooniwara.
During searches, sources said, arms, ammunition, drugs and cash was recovered from the terror associates.
“This was a clear case of narco-terrorism and the liability of Arshid in this case makes him a high grade narco-terrorist. The cash recovered from Arshid and his associates was intended to be used for the purpose of terrorism. He also used vehicles to facilitate/ferry the JeM terrorists,” sources said.
“Further involvement of Arshid surfaced on 24.06.2022,when two persons namely Younis Manzoor Waza S/o Manzoor Ahmad Waza R/o Wathoora Chadoora, Budgam and Mehboob Ahmad Sheikh S/o Mohammad Ramzan Sheikh R/o Bonhar Wathoora, Budgam were arrested by Police along with two vehicles. The arrestees disclosed that these vehicles have been purchased from the proceeds of narcotics provided by Arshid. They also disclosed that they were on way to give delivery of these two vehicles to terrorists for some terror activity which they were not aware of,” they added.
Quoting the investigators, sources said, Thokar evolved to be a highly effective OGW on account of being a policeman, as he took undue and criminal advantage of his uniform and his credentials.
“He would always go unnoticed at police/army naka points by displaying his police identity card which would save him from any search including of those riding with him on motorcycle or in any other vehicle. The narco-terror activities of Arshid remained undetected over the years because of being a member of police force. Instead of helping the department in fighting terror which he was mandated for, he chose to be a mole and a collaborator and betrayed his oath and uniform. Arshid’s disloyalty towards the nation and department by becoming an accomplice and OGW of JeM terror outfit has wreaked colossal damage on to the department, society and the state,” says the investigation report quoted by the sources.
Murawath Hussain Mir, the third government employee terminated by the LG-administration on Monday, was appointed as a Junior Assistant in 1985 in the Revenue Department.
According to the sources, Mir got thickly involved in terrorism as soon as Pakistan sponsored terrorist and secessionist campaign commenced in J&K in 1990.
“Not only he became ideologically a hardcore proponent of secessionist mythos, but he was also a point-man for several proscribed terror outfits like Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) and J&K Liberation Front (JKLF), allowing them free access to interfere in the affairs of Tehsil office of Pampore,” they said.
Sources said Mir was a conduit of terrorists to extort monthly ‘donations’ from fellow employees.
“As, it is a known fact that terrorist outfits in early 1990s, would collect monthly funds from government employees on their salary day, the deductions came to be sort of institutionalized wherein cashiers and accountants of almost all departments of the government routinely did this. He would be the main facilitator for such extortions in Tehsil offices of Pampore and Tral,” sources said.
Mir, they said, did not restrict himself to being an extortion facilitator for terrorist outfits.
“Eventually, he evolved as one of the most important and trustworthy over ground workers (OGW) for both HM and JKLF, getting baptised in active terrorism, with total commitment. He abundantly misused his position in the government and his close proximity with magistracy. While arranging logistics for terrorists and transporting weapons/ammunition, Murawath Hussain would navigate police/SF checkpoints by virtue of his identity as a member of local magisterial setup,” sources further added.
Referring to an investigation, sources said that it was revealed that in October 1995, Mir was arrested by security forces in Rajbagh, Srinagar along with 4 other terrorists of HM and JKLF.
They said that investigation had then revealed that they were planning to blow up a vital installation in Srinagar city for which they had arranged a substantial quantity of explosives/bombs which was later recovered from their possession.
“Murawath was behind bars for 0nly 8 months before getting released and managing re-entry in the government. That all checks and balances of the system so far has failed to even initiate a modicum of accountability of the misdeeds of Murawath Hussain despite a lapse of 28 years is evidence of near state capture by the adversary,” sources said.
Subsequently, sources said, Mir for his deep connections with secessionist-terrorist ecosystem and being an active member of such system, obtained the admission of his son Haris Murawath in MBBS in Pakistan with the blessings of United Jehad Council and its proxies in Kashmir.
“In 2007, Murawath Hussain founded Falah-e-Behbood committee in Pampore town and became its founding president and continues to be so till date. Intelligence inputs suggest that this committee has played an important role during public unrests of 2008, 2010, 2016,” sources added.
They said, as part of the policy of “Zero Tolerance Against Terrorism’ Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha led administration has successfully broken the back of terrorism and systematically dismantled the terror eco-system that was thriving in J&K prior to abrogation of 370.
“With the latest three termination order, the count has climbed to 52 officers who have been sacked,” the sources added. (With PTI inputs)
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