Cop among three officials sacked over alleged terror links in J&K

In a sweeping move to safeguard national security, the Jammu and Kashmir administration on June 3 terminated three government employees — a police constable, a school teacher, and a junior assistant — for alleged links to Pakistan-backed terror outfits Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Hizb-ul-Mujahideen (HM).

The dismissals were carried out under Section 311(2)(c) of the Indian Constitution, which allows the government to remove employees without formal inquiry in cases deemed critical to state security. With these latest firings, the total number of J&K government employees dismissed on similar grounds in the last five years has risen to 83.

Individuals named in the termination orders:

• Malik Ishfaq Naseer, a constable in J&K Police, was allegedly involved in arms smuggling linked to LeT. He is the brother of Malik Asif Naseer — a “Pakistan-trained terrorist” killed in a 2018 encounter. Despite serving since 2007, Ishfaq is accused of “continuing terror activities with impunity.” His connections surfaced during a 2021 investigation into arms and explosive smuggling in Jammu.
• Ajaz Ahmed, a government school teacher in Poonch, is accused of facilitating Hizb-ul-Mujahideen operations. Recruited in 2011, Ahmed allegedly worked as a conduit for smuggling arms, narcotics, and ammunition. Authorities say his network was exposed in November 2023, when he was caught with a weapons consignment during a police check. Further investigation revealed he was working under instructions from a handler in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
• Waseem Ahmad Khan, a junior assistant at Government Medical College, Srinagar, has been linked to the assassination plot of veteran journalist Shujaat Bukhari, who was killed along with two personal security officers on June 14, 2018. Khan, recruited in 2007, was arrested just two months after the killing as police investigated militant involvement in Batmaloo.

A growing purge in the bureaucracy

The Jammu and Kashmir government, following a zero-tolerance policy on terrorism, has intensified its efforts to weed out militant influence from state institutions. Officials said the action is necessary to prevent radical infiltration into key public systems, particularly in law enforcement, education, and health — sectors crucial for civilian trust and societal stability.

While civil rights groups have called for transparency in such actions, the government maintains that Section 311(2)(c) is a vital tool to act swiftly against internal threats without compromising sensitive intelligence.

As militancy continues to evolve in form and operation, the J&K administration appears determined to dismantle any covert nexus between terrorism and government machinery — a battle waged not just on the borders, but from within.