In a major crackdown, The Jammu & Kashmir administration on July 17 terminated Public Relations Officer (PRO) of University of Kashmir, Faheem Aslam, Revenue Department officer, Murawath Hussain Mir and Police Constable Arshid Ahmad Thoker from the service.
Quoting official sources, news agency KNO reported that the administration has invoked 311 (2) (c) of the Constitution of India to sack the three Government employees.
Article 311 of the Constitution of India provides for dismissal of a person employed in civil capacities under Union or a State.
The Article empowers the President of India or the Governor to dismiss from service any Government employee without giving him/her the opportunity to be heard, if his/her involvement in anti-national activities threaten the integrity of the country.
According to sources they were actively working with Pakistani terror outfits, providing logistics to terrorists, propagating terror ideology, raising terror finances and furthering secessionist agenda.
“The activities of these employees had come to the adverse notice of law enforcement and intelligence agencies. They found them involved in activities prejudicial to the interests of the state, such as terror-related activities,” an official said.
According to sources, in August 2008, Faheem Aslam was appointed as a contractual employee, made his entry to ‘Kashmir University’ with the help of separatist and Hurriyat leader, Syed Ali Shah Gellani.
Sources say that an investigation clearly established that they were allegedly acting on behalf of Pakistan Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and terror outfits.
He was given a job of ‘media reporter’ in the University and was asked to keep the secessionist-terrorist campaign alive. “Then Kashmir University was one of the epicenters of secessionist activism and a breeding ground for terrorism,” the sources said.
“Faheem Aslam would share a close relation with JKLF chief Yasin Malik and being loyal to his master Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani then, he would run the campaign in the university campus,” said sources.
He is said to have been an aide of terrorist Shabir Shah before venturing into legitimate business with seed money allegedly received from Pakistan ISI.
Sources say the second accused was recruited as a constable in Jammu and Kashmir Police in Armed Police in 2006. He came in contact with Over Ground Workers of Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) after which the accused became a conduit and alleged logistic supporter for the terror outfit.
Sources in the investigation team say he was a hardcore proponent of secessionist myths, and an alleged point-man for several proscribed terror outfits like Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) and the Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF).
“Faheem Aslam has played a huge role as an activist, secessionist-narrative peddler and organizer in violent agitations of 2008, 2010 and 2016. He has been at the forefront of these agitations in planning and organizing demonstrations especially in Kashmir University campus,” sources further said.
When the Kashmir is inching towards peace post abrogation of Art 370, Faheem is still influencing university students towards secessionism,” said sources, adding, “his move is seen as a threat to national security.”
“It was done 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. Faheem was clandestinely allowed to enter into public employment through a backdoor,” sources revealed to a media house.
Faheem Aslam is a hardcore member of Pak Embedded High Value Asset (PEHVA) of terror outfits, responsible for promoting and glamorising terrorism through his write–ups that would be published in one leading local daily of Jammu and Kashmir.
According to sources, Faheem would draw salary not only from the state exchequer but also would get paid by the local daily (name withheld) since 2008. Being a Government employee, he had not taken any permission from the University to work with the local daily as Sub-Editor.
It is to be noted that LG Manoj Sinha led J&K administration had in July, 2020 formed a committee vide Government Order No. 738-JK(GAD) of 2020 for scrutinising the inputs, records and cognizable material against the government employees involved in “anti-national activities”.
The administration has claimed that the activities of such employees had come to the “adverse notice of law enforcement and intelligence agencies, as they have been found involved in activities prejudicial to the interests of the security of the State”.
In February this year, three employees were sacked in a similar manner by the J&K administration by invoking Article 311 of the Constitution of India for their alleged involvement in “anti-national activities”.
With the latest order, 52 government officers have so far been sacked for alleged links with terror outfits
