Continuing his crackdown on terror patrons in Jammu and Kashmir, LG Manoj Sinha has sacked three government employees for their alleged involvement in terror links. This comes amid the increased surveillance against terror networks in the wake of the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack. The sacked employees are accused of working for terrorist groups Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Hizb-ul-Mujahideen (HM).
The accused have been identified as Malik Ishfaq Naseer, who was working as a police constable; Ajaz Ahmed, working as a teacher in the school education department; and Waseem Ahmad Khan, a Junior Assistant in Government Medical College, Srinagar, said notifications issued by the General Administration Department of the Jammu and Kashmir government.
Since taking office in August 2020, Manoj Sinha has prioritised weakening terrorism’s infrastructure by targeting both active terrorists and their support networks, including overground workers (OGWs) and sympathisers embedded in government institutions. Sinha has ensured aggressive counter-terrorism operations, with security forces neutralising hundreds of terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir between 2020 and 2024 and termination of more than 70 OGW/Terror associates from government jobs under Article 311(2)(c) of the Indian Constitution.
This comes a month after the devastating Pahalgam terror attack, where terrorists killed around 26 civilians, mostly tourists in Baisaran valley of Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir. Earlier on May 31, the Special Cell of Delhi Police arrested two men, both brothers, for supplying Indian SIM cards to Pakistan Intelligence Operatives (PIOs).
According to the police, the apprehended individuals were Hasin and Kasim, both residents of Rajasthan. According to the officials, the accused, Hasin, had visited Pakistan around 15 years back as his relatives reside there. Currently, he has been in touch with ISI officials for around 4-5 years. In August 2024, he sent SIM cards to Pakistan through Kasim. One of the SIM cards is in his name, and it was used by PIO.
During interrogation, it was revealed that Hasin sent pictures of sensitive army establishments to the PIO and received money in lieu of that. The officials added that he also provided OTP with the ability to activate WhatsApp in Pakistan. His ISI handlers also helped him to get a Pakistani Visa for his younger brother Kasim, his brother-in-law and his sister when they went to Pakistan in August 2024, the police said.
