J&K crackdown on terror 'proxies' continues, 3 govt employees sacked
The three termination orders have brought the total count to 52 officers who have been dismissed due to their connections with terror outfits. The J&K administration's crackdown has dealt a severe blow to terrorism, effectively dismantling the terror ecosystem that was thriving in the region before the abrogation of Article 370.
FollowThe Jammu and Kashmir administration has sacked three government employees for allegedly working for Pakistan. The three employees include University of Kashmir Public Relations Officer Faheem Aslam, Revenue Department Officer Murawath Hussain Mir and Police Constable Arshid Ahmad Thoker. The government employees were sacked after 311 (2) (c) of the Constitution of India was invoked. The three employees are accused of propagating terrorist ideology, providing logistics to terrorists, furthering the secessionist agenda and raising terror finances. According to the J&K administration, the probe against the three staffers clearly established that they were acting on behalf of Pakistan's espionage agency Inter-Services Intelligence and terrorist outfits.
Sources on Faheem Aslam
Faheem Aslam, currently working as a Public Relations Officer (PRO) at the University of Kashmir, is allegedly a staunch secessionist who actively promotes the ideology of separatism and endorses terrorist activities in the Kashmir Valley. He was reportedly planted at the university in 2008 by a terror-separatist kingpin as a contractual employee and later confirmed in his position. He was designated as a media reporter to allegedly keep the secessionist-terrorist campaign alive, as the university campus was known for its secessionist activism and association with terrorism.
His appointment was done without any public advertisement, interview, or police verification, violating the constitutional requirement of equal opportunity in public employment. Through his writings in Greater Kashmir and social media posts, Faheem has made his loyalty to Pakistan evident, advocating for the secession of Jammu and Kashmir and its merger with Pakistan. His posts reveal his role as a hardcore Pak Embedded High-Value Asset (PEHVA) for terrorist outfits, glamorizing and promoting terrorism.
Despite deleting many social media posts propagating terrorism, Faheem's reputation as a narrative terrorist in the Kashmir Valley remains well-known. He was also discovered to have received a salary from Greater Kashmir newspaper since 2008, while simultaneously being paid by the state exchequer, concealing this dual income and unauthorized work with the newspaper.
Sources on Arshid Ahmad Thoker
Arshid Ahmad Thoker, a police constable in Jammu and Kashmir, was recruited in 2006 and later joined the Executive Police in 2009. He managed to transfer to District Srinagar and became primarily attached to various police and civil officers as a PSO/Driver. During this time, he allegedly came in contact with a hardcore Over Ground Worker (OGW) of Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) named Mushtaq Ahmad Ganie.
Through Mushtaq's influence, Arshid reportedly became involved with the JeM network, becoming an essential conduit and logistic supporter for the terrorist outfit in Budgam and Pulwama, especially in the Chadoora-Kakapora area. His association with the JeM strengthened his belief in their ideology, leading him to support terrorism while disregarding his police duties. He allegedly used his police identity to evade security forces and naka points, enabling him to pursue his twin goals: financing terrorism and earning illegal money through narcotics trade.
On May 31, 2020, based on specific information about suspicious movements of terrorists and associates in the Wathoora and Dooniwara area, a joint naka operation involving the Police, CRPF, and Army was established near Dooniwari Bridge to apprehend them.
Sources on Murawath Hussain Mir
Murawath Hussain Mir, a Junior Assistant in the Revenue Department since 1985, became deeply involved in terrorism when Pakistan-sponsored terrorist and secessionist activities began in Jammu and Kashmir in 1990. He aligned himself ideologically with secessionist groups like Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) and J&K Liberation Front (JKLF), acting as a point man for these proscribed terror outfits and allowing them to interfere with the Tehsil office of Pampore.
He allegedly facilitated the extortion of "donations" from fellow government employees on behalf of the terrorist outfits, which was a routine practice during the early 1990s. In addition to being an extortion facilitator, Murawath reportedly became an essential and trusted Over Ground Worker (OGW) for both HM and JKLF, actively participating in terrorist activities and misusing his government position to navigate police and security checkpoints.
In October 1995, he was arrested along with four other terrorists for planning to blow up a vital installation in Srinagar, and substantial explosives were recovered from their possession. However, he was released after just eight months and managed to re-enter the government.
Despite his deep connections with the secessionist-terrorist ecosystem, no accountability has been imposed on Murawath for his misdeeds in the last 28 years, raising concerns about the state's susceptibility to external influence. Furthermore, due to his alleged involvement in the terrorist network, Murawath secured admission for his son, Haris Murawath, to MBBS in Pakistan with the support of the United Jehad Council and its proxies in Kashmir. In 2007, he founded the Falah-e-Behbood committee in Pampore and continues to be its president. Intelligence inputs suggest that this committee played a significant role during public unrest in 2008, 2010, and 2016.
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