J&K Lt Governor fires 2 government employees who had terror links: Sources

In a move that would deal a blow to a terror module active in Jammu and Kashmir, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Friday terminated the services of two government employees for their alleged terror links, sources told India Today TV.
The Lieutenant Governor invoked Section 311 (2) (c) of the Constitution to remove Abdul Rehman Naika (pharmacist) and Zahir Abbas (school teacher) after investigation by law enforcement and intelligence agencies established that they were terror sympathisers.
Abdul Rehman Naika, a resident of Devsar, Kulgam was appointed as a Medical Assistant in 1992. His links with Hizbul Mujahideen emerged when police started their investigation into the killing of one Ghulam Hassan Lone of Devsar. Lone was a staunch nationalist and all his three sons are serving in the security forces. He was killed by terrorists in August 2021. Investigation revealed that Naika was one of the plotters behind Ghulam Lone’s murder to create terror and a situation of insecurity among people in the valley.
“Investigation further revealed that Rehman Naika played a pivotal role in nourishing, strengthening and proliferating a conducive ecosystem for secessionism and terrorism, not only in his local area of Kulgam but also in the neighbouring districts of Shopian and Anantnag,” sources within law enforcement agencies said.
After Ghulam Hassan Lone’s killing, the police tracked the footprints of terror sympathisers, who were providing logistical support to terrorists.
Rehman Naika and his associates were finally arrested with hand grenades and AK-47 ammunition, sources revealed. During the interrogation, Rehman Naika confessed he had received direction from his handlers in Pakistan to carry out a terrorist attack in Kulgam by throwing grenades at security forces and politicians.
He also admitted that as a terror sympathiser, his job was to conduct reconnaissance of targets. In the killing of Ghulam Hassan Lone, Naika and his accomplices had kept a watch on the target’s movements and on the day of the killing he mounted surveillance of the area so that terrorists got a safe passage without getting identified or intercepted.
“He has been a rabid terror sympathiser and hardcore terror associate for various outfits, in particular Hizbul Mujahideen. He had a free run for a very long time. He undermined and sabotaged the very system from which he derived his livelihood. Moreover, he used his privilege as a government employee to target people, police and political leaders. It is so unfortunate that money of Indian taxpayers was used to pay salaries to terrorists like Abdul Rehman Naika,” sources said.
They further said that in a recent security review meeting, Lt Governor Sinha had vowed to wipe out terrorists, their supporters and those aiding them within the system.
Zahir Abbas, resident of Badhat Saroor, Kishtwar is the second employee whose services have been terminated. Zahir, a graduate from Aligarh Muslim University, was appointed as a teacher in 2012 and posted at Government High School, Bugrana. Zahir was arrested in September 2020 for providing safe heaven to three active terrorists of Hizbul Mujahideen, namely Mohammed Amin, Reyaz Ahmad and Mudasir Ahmad in Kishtwar, sources said. He is currently lodged in Central Jail, Kot Bhalwal.
“Zahir is a hardcore terror sympathiser. As a teacher he was expected to serve the nation, but he betrayed his country, aligned with Pakistani terrorists and provided arms, ammunition and logistical support to terror outfits, in particular Hizbul Mujahideen,” a law enforcement agency source said.
“He turned against the same country which provided him and his family with a livelihood and a life of dignity. After his arrest, Zahir gave input on hideouts where arms and ammunitions were stored and also identified two other of his aides- Gulzar Ahmad and Mohd Hanief,” they further revealed.
A top security official said Zahir Abbas was also providing critical information about security forces to his handlers in Pakistan.
He was also helping terrorists on the ground with food, shelter and arms and also enabling them to evade capture and plan attacks. Careful analysis of the tactics used and the targets chosen by Zahir Abbas provides valuable insight into the modus operandi of terror groups.
His presence in the school, with the potential to influence and radicalise students, undermines the principles of education and poses a direct threat to national stability and security, sources said.
Even today, discreetly obtained intelligence input suggests that Zahir Abbas continues to indulge in radical activities in Jail.
“These two cases are clear examples of Pakistani ISI and Pak-based terror outfits’ deep infiltration into the system, and it also reveals terror outfits’ sinister strategy to sustain terror activities and secure finances from the Indian exchequer while subverting the system from within,” the sources noted.
Ghulam Hassan Lone was shot by suspected militants in Kulgam district on August 19, 2021. He was a former PDP block president who had been working with the J&K Apni Party for some time.
He was killed just two days after BJP worker Javeed Ahmad Dar was also shot dead in Brazloo-jagir village of Kulgam district.