SRINAGAR — The Government of Jammu & Kashmir has terminated Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the University of Kashmir, Faheem Aslam; Revenue Department officer, Murawath Hussain Mir and Police Constable Arshid Ahmad Thoker from the service for “actively working with Pakistani terror outfits, providing logistics to terrorists, propagating terrorist ideology, raising terror finances and furthering secessionist agenda.”
The government has invoked 311 (2) (c) of the Constitution of India to sack the three government employees after a “painstaking investigation clearly established that they were acting on behalf of Pakistan ISI and the terror outfits.”
Faheem Aslam (PRO – University of Kashmir)
A top official in the government told the Srinagar-based news agency KDC, “Faheem Aslam is a diehard secessionist who not only subscribes to and endorses the secessionist ideology, but has been a key propagandist for terrorists and terror outfits in Kashmir Valley.”
According to sources privy to the investigation, “Faheem Aslam was planted in Kashmir University in August 2008 by a terror-separatist’s kingpin as a contractual employee and subsequently, he was confirmed. He was designated as a media reporter by the university to keep the secessionist-terrorist campaign alive because the university campus was known as one of the epicentres of secessionist activism and an important breeding ground for terrorism as well.”
“Further investigation will be launched to nab the kingpin of the terror-separatists syndicate, who is said to have operated as a close aide of terrorist Shabir Shah before venturing into a legitimate business with seed money received from Pakistan ISI,” the official said while quoting sources. He claimed that Faheem’s appointment was done without any public advertisement, interview and police verification.
“In complete violation of the constitutional requirement of affording equal opportunity to all similarly placed persons for a position funded by the public exchequer, he was issued with an appointment letter without holding any interview or any competition or police/CID verification. Simply put, he was clandestinely allowed to enter into public employment through a backdoor,” sources said.
The report of news agency KDC further said that Faheem Aslam had come to be a publicly known ‘secessionist-terrorist campaigner’ who by virtue of his write-ups in Greater Kashmir and social media posts made it abundantly clear that his loyalty lies with Pakistan. He had deleted several posts, which campaigned for the secession of J&K and its merger with Pakistan, after the abrogation of Article 370. These posts have been retrieved during the course of the investigation. These posts depict beyond doubt that he is a “hardcore Pak Embedded High-Value Asset (PEHVA) of terror outfits, responsible for promoting and glamorising terrorism.”
In one of his posts on Facebook, Faheem Aslam writes on May 23, 2020 which is quoted as under: “Nothing can ever change one reality; Kashmir will always observe Eid with Pakistan, ALWAYS! That’s for Pakistan, not Kashmiris. We will go with Pakistan. Let Pakistan decide who they want to go with: Choudhary sb or Mufti sb”.
In another social media post, Faheem Aslam writes; “May Allah [SWT] ease the sufferings of Muslims across the globe, especially in Palestine, Kashmir and Pakistan. May the occupation end and occupiers burn in hell. May Allah accept the sacrifices of martyrs, and may Gaza and Kashmir see the dawn of freedom soon. [Ameen]”.
Faheem Aslam also mentioned security forces as “Indian Occupational Forces”. On August 4, 2015, he posted the following on social media: “Epitaph on the grave of my cousin from Islamabad (read Anantnag) who was martyred by Indian occupational forces on 27 October 1990. He was 20 years then. Please read the lines once and pray for his soul. May his soul rest in peace. Ameen!!!”
Despite the fact that Faheem Aslam has deleted several of his social media posts which were in the hundreds wherein he propagated and promoted ‘terrorism’, it still is common knowledge in Kashmir valley that he has been the biggest ‘narrative terrorist’ especially in between 2008-2018.
According to sources, while drawing a salary from the state exchequer, Faheem Aslam was simultaneously taking a salary from Greater Kashmir newspaper since 2008. As per inputs, he was given a salary in cash to hide his wrongdoings as a public servant. He had taken no permission from the university to work with Greater Kashmir.
Available records suggest that he had been a permanent staffer of Greater Kashmir newspaper, filing reports and functioning as a full-time sub-editor. This fact is also common knowledge of everyone associated with the press in Kashmir.
Sources said as a reporter and sub-editor in Greater Kashmir and simultaneously being employed at Kashmir University, the entire reportage of Faheem Aslam clearly establishes his secessionist credentials. According to sources, NIA is already investigating the terror and ISI link of Greater Kashmir newspaper and its associated business interests.
“It is open knowledge that appointment and positioning of such brazen advocates of the cause of terrorism-secessionism in J&K were made possible only with the combined efforts of the terror syndicate which over a period of time had come to help each other to entrench themselves in Kashmir University. The fact is Faheem Aslam being implicitly allowed to simultaneously work in Greater Kashmir newspaper by the University administration is itself strong evidence of the clout he enjoyed,” sources said.
According to investigators, Faheem Aslam has remained affiliated with the Yasin Malik-led JKLF. “He would be often seen in the company of such elements inside the campus as well as outside the campus. He also virtually acted as Syed Ali Shah Geelani’s PRO while working in Greater Kashmir and the University of Kashmir.”
“Faheem Aslam has played a huge role as an activist, secessionist-narrative peddler and organiser in violent agitations of 2008, 2010 and 2016. He has been at the forefront of these agitations in planning and organising demonstrations, especially in the Kashmir University campus. He would often figure in newspaper photographs and other audio-visual media bytes, which stand deleted from the internet as of date. He is still influencing young boys and girls towards secessionism who study or seek admission to Kashmir University,” they added.
“The likes of Faheem Aslam being placed by the adversary of the Indian state in the seat of highest learning is causing the spread of the toxic influence of terror ideology in young minds with consequences that are highly detrimental for national security as well as the youngsters,” sources said.
Arshid Ahmad Thoker (Police Constable)
Arshid Ahmad Thoker was recruited as a constable in Jammu and Kashmir Police, first in Armed Police in 2006 and later in Executive Police in 2009. After completing his Basic Recruitment Training Course (BRTC) at Lethpora police training centre, he ‘managed’ his transfer to District Srinagar and remained mostly attached as PSO/Driver with different police/civil officers and protectees.
“Arshid came in contact with a hardcore Over Ground Worker (OGW) of Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) terror outfit Mushtaq Ahmad Ganie, aka RK, son of Mohammad Kamal Ganie, resident of Sheikhpora Wathoora, Budgam. Mushtaq introduced Arshid to JeM network and thus he became an indispensable conduit and logistic supporter for this dreaded terrorist outfit in Budgam and Pulwama, especially in the Chadoora-Kakapora axis,” the sources added.
“By his association with the JeM network, Arshid’s belief in terror ideology got further strengthened. He became more emboldened to take risks to support terrorism, without caring for adverse impact on his police duties. Instead, he took full advantage of his police identity to escape police and security forces’ Naka points. He had absolute clarity about his twin goals. Firstly, financing terrorism to which he was ideologically committed. Secondly, to earn illegal money through narcotic trade, to satisfy his greed,” sources said.
As per the sources, “On 31-05-2020, subsequent to specific information received by Police Station Chadoora about the suspicious movement of terrorists and their associates in the area of Wathoora and Dooniwara, a joint Naka of Police/CRPF/Army was established near Dooniwari Bridge. During checking, he was arrested along with terror associates Mudasir Fayaz Mir son of Fayaz Ahmad Mir, resident of Tanghar Kralpora; Danish Ahmad Sheikh son of Feroz Ahmad Sheikh, resident of Gopalpora Chadoora; Shabir Ahmad Ganie son of Mohammad Maqbool Ganie, resident of Sheikhpora Wathoora; Mohammad Issaq Bhat son of Bashir Ahmad Bhat, resident of Narvaw Sadipora Shopian and Sageer Ahmad Poswal son of Nazir Ahmad Poswal, resident of Amrohi Karnah.”
“The recoveries made from the possession of Arshid and others included a Chinese pistol with pistol magazine, four pistol rounds, a hand grenade, Indian currency of Rs 1,55,000 and a kilogram of Heroine,” sources added.
“Further involvement of Arshid surfaced on 24-06-2022, when two persons namely Younis Manzoor Waza son of Manzoor Ahmad Waza, resident of Wathoora Chadoora, Budgam and Mehboob Ahmad Sheikh son of Mohammad Ramzan Sheikh, resident of Bonhar Wathoora, Budgam were arrested by Police along with two vehicles. The arrestees disclosed that these vehicles have been purchased from the proceeds of narcotics provided by Arshid. They also disclosed that they were on their way to give delivery of these two vehicles to terrorists for some terror activity which they were not aware of,” sources said.
According to investigators, Arshid evolved to be a highly effective OGW on account of being a policeman, as he took undue and criminal advantage of his uniform and his credentials.
“He would always go unnoticed at police/army Naka points by displaying his police identity card which would save him from any search including of those riding with him on a motorcycle or in any other vehicle. The narco-terror activities of Arshid remained undetected over the years because of being a member of the police force. Instead of helping the department in fighting terror which he was mandated for, he chose to be a mole and a collaborator and betrayed his oath and uniform. Arshid’s disloyalty towards the nation and department by becoming an accomplice and OGW of JeM terror outfit has wreaked colossal damage on to the department, society and the state,” the investigation report said to have stated.
Murawath Hussain Mir (Revenue Officer)
Murawath Hussain Mir was appointed as a Junior Assistant in 1985 in Revenue Department. “He got thickly involved in terrorism as soon as Pakistan-sponsored terrorist and secessionist campaign commenced in J&K in 1990. Not only he became ideologically a hardcore proponent of secessionist mythos, but he was also a point man for several proscribed terror outfits like Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) and J&K Liberation Front (JKLF), allowing them free access to interfere in the affairs of Tehsil office of Pampore.”
Sources said Murawath was a “conduit for terrorists to extort monthly donations from fellow employees.”
“As it is a known fact that terrorist outfits in the early 1990s would collect monthly funds from government employees on their salary day, the deductions came to be sort of institutionalized wherein cashiers and accountants of almost all departments of the government routinely did this. He would be the main facilitator for such extortions in Tehsil offices of Pampore and Tral,” sources said.
Sources further added, “Eventually, he evolved as one of the most important and trustworthy over-ground workers (OGW) for both HM and JKLF, getting baptised in active terrorism, with total commitment. He abundantly misused his position in the government and his close proximity with magistracy. While arranging logistics for terrorists and transporting weapons/ammunition, Murawath Hussain would navigate police/SF checkpoints by virtue of his identity as a member of the local magisterial setup.”
“The investigation has revealed that in October 1995, he was arrested by security forces in Rajbagh, Srinagar along with four other terrorists of HM and JKLF. Interrogation had then revealed that they were planning to blow up a vital installation in Srinagar city for which they had arranged a substantial quantity of explosives/bombs which were later recovered from their possession,” sources disclosed.
Sources observed, “Murawath was behind bars for only eight months before getting released and managing re-entry in the government. That all checks and balances of the system so far has failed to even initiate a modicum of accountability of the misdeeds of Murawath Hussain despite a lapse of 28 years is evidence of near state capture by the adversary.”
Subsequently, Murawath Hussain Mir for his deep connections with the ‘secessionist-terrorist ecosystem’ and being an active member of such a system, obtained the admission of his son Haris Murawath in MBBS in Pakistan “with the blessings of United Jehad Council and its proxies in Kashmir.”
“In 2007, Murawath Hussain founded the Falah-e-Behbood committee in Pampore town and became its founding president and continues to be so till date. Intelligence inputs suggest that this committee has played an important role during public unrests of 2008, 2010, 2016,” sources added.
52 officers sacked so far over links with militancy
With the latest three termination orders, the count has climbed to 52 officers who have been sacked for their link with ‘terror’ outfits. Recently, Manoj Sinha terminated two doctors, Dr Nighat Shaheen Chilloo and Dr Bilal Ahmad Dalal.
In August last year, Lt Governor, Manoj Sinha sacked Ms Assabah-ul-Arjamand, a KAS officer and wife of Bitta Karate. In the same month last year, Manoj Sinha terminated the services of Syed Abdul Mueed, son of Hizbul Mujahideen founder and a most-wanted militant Syed Salah-ud-din.
Shahid Yousuf and Syed Ahmad Shakeel, the other two sons of Salah-ud-din, were terminated by the Lt Governor in July 2021.
In May 2022, Lt Governor Manoj Sinha terminated Altaf Hussain Pandit, a Professor in the Chemistry Department of Kashmir University. Anees-Ul-Islam, the grandson of Syed Ali Shah Geelani, was terminated by Lt Governor Manoj Sinha in October 2021.
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