New Delhi, May 13 Continuing its crackdown on the ecosystem that aides anti-national activities, the Jammu and Kashmir administration has terminated the services of a university professor and two others on charges of actively supporting terrorism.

Over 30 employees of different departments of the Union Territory have been removed from service on serious allegations of supporting terrorist activities, said a top officer of the J&K government.

Altaf Hussain Pandit, a chemistry Professor of Kashmir University, Mohammed Maqbool Hajam, a teacher in the school education department, and J&K police constable Ghulam Rasool have lost their jobs under provisions of Article 311 (2) (c) of the Constitution. The article empowers the Governor to act in the interest of the security of the state without giving an opportunity to the accused officials to defend themselves.

JK officials alleged that Altaf Hussain Pandit is “actively associated with the Jamaat-e-Islam (JeI)” and took terror training in Pakistan in the 80s. Subsequently, he worked for JKLF for three years before his arrest by security forces in 1993, the UT officials stated.

He became a terror recruiter and was instrumental in organising stone pelting and violent protests against the killing of terrorists in 2011 and 2014, the UT sources stated. A year later, he entered univeristy politics to tap into a larger pool of students with the aim of brainwashing them to take up arms. Three students of Kashmir University joined terror outfits after he became an executive member of the Kashmir University Teachers’ Association.

Teacher Mohd Maqbool Hajam was an overground worker (OGW) of terror outfits and his role was largely to radicalise people. He was part of a mob that attacked a police station in Sogam and other government buildings, said administration sources.

Constable Ghulam Rasool was under the scanner for long as he was found to have been working as an underground supporter of terrorists. According to sources, he also acted as an informer and would leak confidential information about anti-terror operations to terrorists and OGWs. He also leaked the names of police personnel involved in anti-terror ops, which was used by the outfits to to target the police personnel and their families. “He was also in touch with Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist Mushtaq Ahmad alias Aurangzeb, who has crossed over to Pakistan,” informed UT sources.

According to sources, a designated committee in the state, responsible for scrutinising and recommending cases under Article 311 (2) (c) of the Constitution, had recommended termination of the three employees from government service for having terror links.

The crackdown comes close on the heels of a spurt in terrorism in J&K.

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