Three J&K employees sacked for terror links

Services of 72 have been terminated since the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019

- Mir Ehsan

KASHMIR: Jammu and Kashmir lieutenant governor Manoj Sinha on Tuesday sacked three government employees, including a police constable, a schoolteacher and an assistant in the J&K health education department for their alleged terror links. So far, 72 government employees have been terminated since the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019.

The employees whose services have been terminated are Ajaz Ahmad, a government schoolteacher of Baflaiz village in Surankote tehsil in Poonch district; Malik Ishfaq Naseer, a selection grade police constable at Khahgund, Anantnag; and Waseem Ahmad Khan, an assistant in the J&K health education department and a resident of Diyarwani New Colony, Batamaloo, Srinagar.

Law-enforcement agencies of the Union Territory and the lieutenant governor invoked Article 311(2)(c) of the Constitution, which allows dismissal without an inquiry "in the interest of national security". All three are currently lodged in jail.

This is third termination of government employees since Omar Abdullah took over as J&K chief minister in October last year. Political parties in Jammu and Kashmir have opposed such dismissals, terming them arbitrary.