Kashmir University PRO Faheem Aslam, one of the three Govt employees terminated from their duty for alleged terror links

The Jammu and Kashmir administration has terminated the services of three government employees for their alleged involvement with Pakistani terror outfits, media reports have quoted officials who are privy to the development as, confirming on Monday (July 17).

The three employees include Kashmir University PRO Faheem Aslam, J&K Police Constable Arshid Ahmad Thoker and Revenue Department Officer Murawath Hussain Mir. They were terminated from services by the Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir UT, Manoj Sinha administration in accordance with Article 311(2)(c) of the Constitution of India after it was known that they were working as over ground workers for the terrorist outfits.

The Article gives the President of India or the Governor the authority to remove any government employee from their position without providing them with the chance to be heard if their participation in anti-national activities endangers the peace and security of the nation.

The decision was taken after it was discovered that the three were actively working with Pakistani terror outfits, providing logistics to terrorists, propagating terrorist ideology, raising terror finances and furthering the secessionist agenda.

“The activities of these 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,” Republic TV quoted an official as saying.

Kashmir University PRO Faheem Aslam

Kashmir University PRO Faheem Aslam has been a key propagandist for terrorists and terror outfits in Kashmir Valley. According to sources privy to the investigation, Faheem Aslam was planted in Kashmir University in August 2008 by Kashmiri separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani.

He was initially appointed as a contractual employee and was subsequently confirmed. Later, he was chosen by the University to serve as a media reporter in order to maintain the separatist-terrorist campaign as the university campus was well-known as one of the hubs of secessionist activism and a crucial breeding ground for terrorism.

According to reports, Faheem’s appointment was made without any public advertisement, interview and police verification.

“In complete violation of the constitutional requirement of affording equal opportunity to all similarly placed persons for a position funded by the 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,” Republic TV quoted sources as saying.

Faheem Aslam, besides being a close aide of Kashmiri separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani, shared a very close relationship with terrorist and Kashmiri separatist Yasin Malik, who was sentenced to life imprisonment by the Special NIA court for terror funding activities in Jammu and Kashmir in May last year.

“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 said.

When Kashmir is inching towards peace after the abrogation of Article 370, Faheem is still influencing university students towards secessionism,” said sources, adding, “His move is seen as a threat to national security.”

Journalist Aditya Raj Kaul in the tread of tweets, spoke about the development. He added how investigators revealed that Faheem Aslam had written several posts, which were later deleted, which campaigned for the secession of J&K and its merger with Pakistan, after abrogation of Article 370.

These posts have been retrieved during the course of the investigation.

Sharing some of the anti-national posts written by Faheem Aslam, Journalist Aditya Raj Kaul tweeted, “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.”

According to reports, Faheem Aslam was spreading his secessionist agenda through his writings that are published in the Kashmir-based newspaper – ‘Greater Kashmir’.

While drawing a salary from the state exchequer, Faheem Aslam was simultaneously taking a salary from Greater Kashmir newspaper since 2008. As per inputs, he was given a salary in cash to hide his wrongdoings as a public servant. He had taken no permission from University to work with Greater Kashmir. The available record suggests that he had been a permanent staffer of the Greater Kashmir newspaper filing reports and functioning as a full-time sub-editor.

It is pertinent to note that in 2020, National Investigation Agency (NIA) carried out raids at multiple locations in Srinagar, including the office of the Kashmir-based newspaper – ‘Greater Kashmir’. The NIA had registered a case to investigate the allegations of fund-raising activities of the NGO, which was accused of using the Hawala racket to fund terror in the Kashmir valley.

Revenue Department Officer Murawath Hussain Mir Terminated By Jammu And Kashmir Administration

In 1985, Murawath Hussain Mir was hired by the Revenue Department as a Junior Assistant. As soon as the terrorist and secessionist movement in J&K began in 1990 under the sponsorship of Pakistan, he became heavily involved in it. He not only became an ideologically ardent supporter of the secessionist narrative, but he also served as the point man for various terror organisations that were outlawed, including Pakistan-backed Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) and the J&K Liberation Front (JKLF), giving them unrestricted access to the Pampore Tehsil Office.

According to sources, Murawath served as a conduit for terrorists to extort monthly “donations” from fellow employees.

Murawath Hussain did more than only help terrorist organisations with extortion. He eventually became one of HM and JKLF’s most crucial and trusted over-ground workers (OGW).

Hussain was arrested by security authorities in Srinagar’s Rajbagh in October 1995, together with 4 other HM and JKLF terrorists. They revealed during interrogation that they were planning to blow up a crucial 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 only 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.

“In 2007, Murawath Hussain founded the 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 and 2016,” sources added.

Police Constable Arshid Ahmad Thoker

Arshid Ahmad Thoker was hired by the Jammu and Kashmir Police as a constable, initially in the Armed Police in 2006 and then in the Executive Police in 2009. He managed his transfer to District Srinagar after completing his Basic Recruitment Training Course (BRTC) there. He then primarily remained attached as a PSO/Driver with various police/civil personnel and protectees.

Arshid interacted with Mushtaq Ahmad Ganie, nicknamed RK, a fervent Over Ground Worker (OGW) for the Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) terrorist group who lives in Sheikhpora Wathoora, Budgam. RK is the son of Mohammad Kamal Ganie.

Arshid was introduced to the JeM network by Mushtaq, and as a result, he became a crucial logistical supporter and conduit for this deadly terrorist group in Budgam and Pulwama, particularly in the Chadoora-Kakapora region.

Following specific information received by Police Station Chadoora on May 31, 2020, on the suspicious movement of terrorists and their allies in the vicinity of Wathoora and Dooniwara, a joint naka of the Police, CRPF, and Army was set up at Dooniwari Bridge to apprehend the terrorists and their associates. He along with his associates was detained during the checking.

It was revealed that he used vehicles to ferry the JeM terrorists. Investigators asserted that because Arshid was a police officer, he illegally and dishonestly exploited his authority and credentials and evolved to be an incredibly effective OGW.

Notably, in February this year, three government employees were sacked in a similar manner. Last year too, in a similar move the Jammu and Kashmir administration suspended five of its employees after their links with terrorist outfits including Hizbul Mujahideen, Jamaat e Islami and Islamic State were established.

According to reports, with the latest order of termination of three government officials, 52 officers have already been fired due to their affiliation with various terror organisations.