Srinagar (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], April 20 (ANI): Reiterating India's stance on national security, Lieutenant Governor (LG) Manoj Sinha on Saturday affirmed that 'separatism and terrorism have no future in Jammu and Kashmir.'

He also said that Pakistan should stop exporting terror.

'Separatism and terrorism have no future in Jammu and Kashmir. I have said it many times that our neighbour (Pakistan) is struggling with its internal issues. It is not even able to take care of the basic rights of its citizens... it should stop exporting terrorism,' LG Sinha said while speaking to ANI.

Earlier this month, LG Sinha ordered the dismissal of two Jammu and Kashmir (J-K) government employees over alleged links to terrorism, according to sources.

The employees were identified as Ishtiyaq Ahmad Malik, a senior assistant in the Public Works Department (PWD), and Basharat Ahmad Mir, an assistant wireless operator in Jammu and Kashmir Police, they said.

According to the sources, their dismissal was executed in accordance with Article 311 (2) (c) of the Constitution.

Sinha has consistently demonstrated a strong stance against terrorism and its supporting ecosystem. Since taking office, he has emphasised a zero-tolerance policy toward terrorism, focusing on dismantling the networks that sustain it, including those providing ideological, financial, and logistical support.

Malik was appointed in 2000, and despite being a government employee, he started 'working for Jamat-e-Islami and Hizbul Mujahideen,' a proscribed organisation banned by India, the USA, and the European Union, sources said.'

It has been learnt that Malik's terror link came to the fore during the investigation of a case related to Hizbul terrorist Mohammad Ishaq. Ishaq was arrested on May 5, 2022, and during the interrogation, he revealed that Malik was providing shelter, food and logistics to terrorists. Subsequently, he was arrested on May 17, 2022 and charged under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) along with Ishaq.'

The second sacked government employee, Basharat Ahmad Mir, was appointed as a police constable operator in 2010 and remained posted in various units of the Jammu and Kashmir Police till 2017.

Sometime in late 2017, Basharat and other Police Constable Operators were laid off after a court ruling. However, in 2018, he was reappointed as a Wireless Assistant following a subsequent court ruling. In December 2023, credible inputs were received that Basharat was in contact with a Pakistani Intelligence operative and was sharing critical and vital information with the adversary, they said.

'He was posted at a hypersensitive establishment, which is highly vulnerable to espionage attacks from adversaries, and therefore, his dismissal was the only option to safeguard the integrity and sovereignty of the nation,' sources said.

So far, more than 70 government employees with terror links have been dismissed by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha.

His approach aligns with the broader security strategy of the Indian government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which prioritises neutralising terrorists and their sympathisers to establish lasting peace in Jammu and Kashmir.

Recently, the Lieutenant Governor had directed J&K police to hunt down terrorists and their aides, emphasising that terrorism was breathing its last in the UT.

Lieutenant Governor Sinha has complemented these efforts with the industrialisation of Jammu and Kashmir and developmental schemes aimed at isolating the terror ecosystem. (ANI)