The Jammu and Kashmir administration took decisive action on Saturday, dismissing six government officials, including five policemen, for their alleged involvement in financing terrorism through drug sales. The investigation revealed that these individuals were part of a sophisticated narco-terror network, with connections to Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and various other terror groups operating from the country.
An official confirmed to the Press Trust of India (PTI) that the dismissed officials, including a teacher, were found to be involved in terror financing through drug sales. The profits generated from the illegal narcotics trade were then channeled to fund terrorist activities.
The Hindustan Times identified the dismissed personnel as head constable Farooq Ahmad Sheikh, constable Khalid Hussian Shah, constable Rehmat Shah, constable Irshad Ahmad Chalkoo, constable Saif Din, and government teacher Nazam Din.
Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha invoked Article 311(2)(c) of the Indian Constitution to terminate the employees, with immediate effect. This article empowers the government to dismiss employees without a formal inquiry if the President or the governor, as applicable, deems such an inquiry unnecessary in the interest of national security.
With this dismissal, the administration has now removed a total of 70 government employees on similar grounds since the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019. In June 2024, four other government employees were also sacked for their alleged involvement in narco-terrorism. These individuals, identified as police constables Mushtaq Ahmad Pir and Imtiyaz Ahmad Lone, junior assistant Bazil Ahmad Mir from the school education department, and Mohd. Zaid Shah from the rural department, were accused of acting on behalf of terrorist outfits. Law enforcement and intelligence agencies collected incriminating evidence against them, according to the Hindustan Times.
The Asia News International (ANI) reported that heroin and brown sugar, which are not cultivated in India, are inextricably linked to terrorist activities in Jammu and Kashmir. Every gram of these drugs peddled or consumed in India is believed to originate from Pakistan through various networks. The dismissal of these officials underscores the ongoing fight against narco-terrorism and its links to cross-border networks operating from Pakistan.
