Srinagar- The Jammu and Kashmir administration led by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha has terminated the services of five government employees for their alleged involvement in terror related activities in the Union Territory, officials said.

With the latest action, the total number of government employees dismissed since 2021, when the LG led administration began such measures, has risen to 89.

According to official details, those dismissed include a government school teacher, a laboratory technician, an assistant lineman, a field worker of the Forest Department and a driver in the Health and Medical Education Department.

Officials said Mohammad Ishfaq, a government teacher appointed as Rehbar e Taleem and regularised in 2013, was found to have active links with the Pakistan based terror outfit Lashkar-e-Toiba. Investigations revealed that he was in regular contact with LeT commander Mohammad Amin alias Abu Khubaib, a Government of India designated terrorist operating from Pakistan.

According to officials, Ishfaq was assigned an operational role by LeT and tasked with executing the killing of a police officer in Doda in early 2022. He was arrested in April 2022 by Jammu and Kashmir Police in Marheen before the plan could be carried out. Arms and ammunition were recovered from him and his associate. Officials said interrogation revealed that Ishfaq exploited his position as a teacher to radicalise youth and influence them towards terror groups. They added that he continues to spread radical ideology even from jail.

Another terminated employee, Tariq Ahmad Rah, a laboratory technician at the Sub District Hospital in Bijbehera, Anantnag, was initially engaged on a contractual basis in 2011 and regularised in 2016. Officials said he came under the influence of Hizb-ul-Mujahideen through his uncle Amin Baba alias Abid, a former HM divisional commander.

Rah’s role surfaced during a State Investigation Agency probe into Amin Baba’s escape to Pakistan in 2005. Officials said Rah facilitated the militant’s stay in Anantnag and arranged his transport to the Attari Wagah border. They said he ensured the exfiltration of the wanted terrorist, who is now based in Islamabad and is involved in training HM cadres and coordinating with terror groups including Jaish-e-Mohammed.

Bashir Ahmad Mir, an assistant lineman in the PHE department who joined service in 1988 and was regularised in 1996, was also dismissed. Officials said Mir acted as an active LeT over ground worker in the Gurez area of Bandipora, providing logistical support, shelter and movement assistance to terrorists. His role came to light in September 2021 when an anti terror operation at his residence led to the killing of two LeT militants and the recovery of two AK 47 rifles and ammunition. He was arrested and later granted medical bail.

The administration also terminated Farooq Ahmad Bhat, a field worker in the Forest Department posted in Anantnag. Officials said he actively supported HM and assisted in planning Amin Baba’s escape to Pakistan. They said Bhat used his government identity to bypass checkpoints and dropped the militant near the international border. He was arrested in 2024 and later released on bail in 2025, but officials said he continues to maintain contact with terrorists and their sympathisers.

Mohd Yousuf, a driver in the Health and Medical Education Department posted at Bemina in Srinagar, was also dismissed for terror links. Officials said he maintained regular contact with Pakistan based HM handler Bashir Ahmad Bhat and was involved in arms procurement, fund movement and logistical support for militants in Ganderbal, misusing his official position.

They said Yousuf was also part of a network supplying mobile phones to jailed terrorists for communication with handlers across the border. On July 20, 2024, police intercepted his vehicle and recovered a pistol, ammunition, a grenade and Rs five lakh in cash. Interrogation revealed the consignment was meant for a terrorist on the directions of his handler, officials said.

The government said the action reflects its zero tolerance policy against terror and those aiding militant networks while holding public positions.