The Jammu and Kashmir administration has sacked three government employees for their allegedly supporting terrorism.
One of them is Altaf Hussain Pandit, a chemistry professor of Kashmir University. The two others are Mohd Maqbool Hajam, teacher in school education department, and Ghulam Rasool, a Jammu & Kashmir Police Constable.
The recent crackdown is part of the government effort to detect and mitigate terror elements within the system who somehow managed to sneak in within the system in previous regimes.
Altaf Hussain Pandit is actively associated with Jamaat-e-Islam (JeI) and he had crossed over to Pakistan for terror training. He had remained active terrorist of JKLF for three years before his arrest by security forces in 1993. Hussain remained an active cadre of JeI and worked as a terror recruiter. He was instrumental in organizing stone pelting, violent protests on killing of terrorists in 2011 and 2014. In 2015, Hussain became executive member of the Kashmir University Teachers’ Association and used his position to propagate secessionism among students. It is learnt that Altaf Hussain was instrumental in motivating three students of Kashmir University to join terror ranks.
Mohd Maqbool Hajam, also a terror over ground worker (OGW), used to radicalize people. He was part of a mob which attacked a police station in Sogam and other government buildings. Despite being a government teacher, he was always found to be involved in terror activities.
Ghulam Rasool was working as an underground supporter of terrorists. He also acted as an informer to terrorists and used to tip-off terrorists and OGWs about anti-terror operations. He also used to leak the names of police personnel involved in anti-terror ops. He was also in touch with Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist Mushtaq Ahmad alias Aurangzeb, who has crossed over to Pakistan.
Sources said that the designated committee in J&K for scrutinizing and recommending cases under Article 311 (2) (c) of the constitution of India has recommended termination of these three employees from the service for having terror links and working as over ground worker (OGW).