Over 80 employees sacked in 5 years under LG Sinha’s zero-tolerance policy against terrorism
KD NEWS SERVICE
SRINAGAR, Oct 30: In a decisive move to purge the government system of individuals linked to terror networks, the Jammu and Kashmir administration on Thursday dismissed two teachers from the School Education Department for their alleged association with the proscribed outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).
The terminations were ordered by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha under sub-clause (c) of the proviso to clause (2) of Article 311 of the Constitution of India, citing grave threats to the security of the State. With these dismissals, the number of government employees sacked for terror links in the Union Territory has reached around 80 in the past five years.
According to two separate government orders — No. 1413-JK(GAD) of 2025 and No. 1414-JK(GAD) of 2025 — issued by the General Administration Department (GAD) on October 30, 2025, Maajid Iqbal Dar, son of Late Mohd Iqbal Dar, a resident of Ward No. 1, Kheora, District Rajouri, and Ghulam Hussain, son of Ali Mohammad, a resident of Kalwa Mulass, Tehsil Mahore, District Reasi, were terminated from service with immediate effect.
The orders, signed by the Commissioner/Secretary to the Government, stated that the Lieutenant Governor was satisfied, after considering all facts and inputs from intelligence and law enforcement agencies, that both individuals were engaged in activities prejudicial to the interests of the State. The orders further noted that it was “not expedient to hold an enquiry in the interest of the security of the State.”
Maajid Iqbal Dar: Radicalised Educator with Narco-Terror Links
According to official sources, Maajid Iqbal Dar was appointed as a Laboratory Assistant in 2009 on compassionate grounds following his father’s death and was later promoted as a teacher in 2019. Investigations revealed that Dar was allegedly functioning as an Over Ground Worker (OGW) for LeT and was actively involved in radicalising youth in Rajouri and adjoining areas.
Dar’s name surfaced during the investigation into the recovery of an improvised explosive device (IED) planted near a J&K Bank branch in Rajouri in January 2023. He was arrested along with two others after police found that the trio had planted the explosive on the instructions of a Pakistan-based handler and had received funds through a local conduit.
Sources said Dar maintained close contact with LeT operatives, including terrorists identified as Mohd Jabar and Zohaib Shazad, and was also linked to the narco-terror network used to fund terror operations. As per investigators, he used proceeds from the drug trade to finance LeT’s activities and to radicalise gullible youth.
Even during his detention, Dar reportedly continued to exhibit radical tendencies and an unyielding commitment to extremist ideology. Officials said his continued presence in the education system posed a grave threat to impressionable young minds and undermined the sanctity of public service. “Dar’s damage value is immense because he was working within a sensitive department and had misused his official position to propagate extremist beliefs,” a senior law enforcement officer said.
Ghulam Hussain: Teacher-Turned-Terror Financier in Reasi
The second dismissed teacher, Ghulam Hussain, was appointed as a Rehbar-e-Taleem (ReT) teacher in 2004, regularised in 2009, and posted at Government Primary School, Kalwa, Mahore in Reasi district. Officials said Hussain had covertly established connections with LeT operatives through encrypted communication platforms and was actively involved in aiding and abetting terrorist activities in Reasi and neighbouring areas.
Investigations revealed that Hussain was in touch with two LeT terrorists — Mohd Qasim and Ghulam Mustafa — who acted as his handlers. Acting on their directions, he distributed funds to families of active terrorists, arranged logistics, and financed recruitment drives for the outfit. He was arrested in 2023 after intelligence agencies confirmed his deep involvement in the terror ecosystem.
“Hussain’s actions were not driven by monetary greed alone but by ideological sympathy for terrorism,” sources said. “He was an OGW planted within the education system to radicalise youth and strengthen the terror network in Reasi.” Officials further said he regularly received parcels and financial aid from LeT operatives through various local conduits.
Authorities described Hussain’s conduct as a serious betrayal of both the nation and the education department, adding that his continued employment posed a significant risk to hundreds of schoolchildren under his care.
Zero-Tolerance Policy Against Terror Ecosystem
Both terminations form part of a larger, ongoing crackdown by the Jammu and Kashmir administration to eliminate terror sympathisers from government service. The LG-led administration has reiterated that there will be “no place for individuals involved in anti-national or terror-linked activities within the public system.”
Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha has repeatedly emphasised his government’s unwavering commitment to safeguarding the integrity of institutions from infiltration by anti-national elements. “The war against terrorism is not over yet. Kinetic and non-kinetic operations must continue. We must maintain the momentum and take stringent action against terrorism and its entire ecosystem,” Sinha recently told senior security and intelligence officials.
Officials said the latest dismissals reaffirm the LG administration’s determination to ensure that public institutions, particularly those shaping young minds, remain free from the influence of extremism and individuals working against the interests of the State.
