J&K LG dismisses three employees over ‘terror links’; CM Omar Abdullah questions “arbitrary dismissals”

Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor (LG) Manoj Sinha Saturday terminated three government employees under Article 311 of the Constitution for their alleged links to terrorist activities prompting chief minister Omar Abdullah to question “arbitrary dismissals”.

The sacked employees include Firdous Ahmad Bhat, a police constable, Mohammad Ashraf Bhat, a teacher, and Nissar Ahmad Khan an orderly from the forest department.

According to police, Firdous, who was arrested on terror charges last May and is currently lodged in Kot Bhalwal jail, guided the terrorists who killed J&K Police Sub-inspector Ashraf Bhat in 2020.

Similarly, Ashraf Bhat, was found to be allegedly working for Lashkar-e-Toiba and his handler turned out to be the most wanted LeT terrorist, Mohammad Qasim, who is based in Pakistan.

Nasir Khan, who was previously arrested and acquitted for the 2000 killing of a then National Conference minister, has been in jail since 2022 on alleged terror funding charges.

The terminations, the second such order in the last four months since Omar Abdullah government took over, came a day after the Lieutenant Governor directed the police and security agencies to intensify anti-terror operations to neutralise terrorists and the "terror ecosystem".

Article 311, which was extended to Jammu and Kashmir following the abrogation of its special status in August 2019, allows for the termination of employees without a formal inquiry, provided their retention in public service is prejudicial to the security of the state. Dismissed employees can only approach a High Court for relief under this provision.

So far over 75 government employees, including two sons of Pakistan-based Hizbul Mujahideen chief Syed Salahudin and tainted deputy superintendent of J&K police, Davinder Singh, who was charge sheeted by the NIA for providing support to the Hizbul, have been dismissed from the service since 2021.

The dismissals have sparked controversy, particularly from Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who questioned the “arbitrary dismissals” and called for due process.

“If there is proof against them (dismissed employees) and they have been given an opportunity to clear the allegations but failed… if such steps are taken without hearing them, the law says that every person accused of any crime is considered innocent until proven guilty,” Omar told reporters on the sidelines of a function in Katra.

Former chief minister and president of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Mehbooba Mufti also condemned the terminations, saying that arbitrary dismissals of government employees have become a regular occurrence since 2019.

She criticized the Omar Abdullah government for failing to protect the rights of employees, despite having promised to end such practices once in power.