Hizb chief's son, Bitta Karate's wife among 4 sacked by J&K administration

Srinagar August 13

The J&K administration on Saturday dismissed four officials, including a son of Pakistan-based Hizb chief Syed Salahuddin, for anti-national activities.

The dismissed officials include Syed Abdul Mueed, son of Salahuddin; Dr Muheet Ahmad Bhat and Majid Hussain Qadri, both posted at the University of Kashmir; and Assabah-ul-Arjumand Khan, a J&K Administrative Services Officer.

Assabah-ul-Arjumand is wife of Farooq Dar, alias Bitta Karate, an accused in killing of Kashmiri Pandits in the early 90s. These employees were dismissed after Lt Governor Manoj Sinha-led administration invoked Article 311 of the Constitution of India for their involvement in anti-national activities. Article 311 provides for dismissal of a person employed in civil capacity under the Union or a state.

“The activities of these employees had come to the notice of law enforcement and intelligence agencies, as they have been found to be involved in activities prejudicial to the interests of the security of the state,” a government spokesperson said.

On July 30, 2020, the Sinha administration constituted a committee. After scrutinising the inputs, the panel recommended the dismissals.

“Dr Bhat has been found involved in propagating the secessionist-terrorist agenda at the University of Kashmir by radicalising the students for advancing the programme and agenda of Pakistan and its proxies,” the government said.

Qadri, a senior assistant professor at the University of Kashmir, has had a long “association with terror organisations that includes LeT”, the government said.

“Mueed has been found to have a role in three terror attacks on the JKEDI complex at Sempora in Pampore,” the government said.

“Assabah-ul-Arjumand has been found involved in providing false information for seeking a passport,” the spokesperson said, adding, “She has been found to have links with foreign people who have been indexed by the Indian security and intelligence to be on the payrolls of the ISI. Her involvement in ferrying consignment of money for funding anti-India activities in Jammu and Kashmir has also been reported.”