Mirwaiz urges J&K govt to reinstate sacked employees

Srinagar: A day after two government employees were sacked for their alleged anti- national activities, Kashmir separatist leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq urged Omar Abdullah government to reinstate all employees terminated in the last few years.
Two employees Zahir Abbas, a school teacher from Kishtwar district of Jammu and Abdul Rehman Naika, a pharmacist with the Health and Medical Education Department and a resident of Devsar, Kulgam, in south Kashmir were terminated by J&K government under Article 311(2)(C) of the Constitution.
This Article empowers the government to dismiss employees without seeking an explanation or conducting an inquiry into their conduct.
This was also the first instance of such dismissals since Omar Abdullah assumed office as Chief Minister in October.
All Parties Hurriyat Conference chairman Mirwaiz Umar took to social media and said that the elected administration should take immediate measures to stop this injustice.
"Two more government employees terminated by the stroke of a pen without any legal recourse! Families rendered destitute before the onset of harsh winters . Punishment and fear is the hallmark of an authoritarian mindset that has been ruling us here . The elected administration should take immediate measures to stop this injustice and reinstate all the terminated in this unjust manner even without a hearing," Mirwaiz said in a post on X.
After the termination orders were issued on the Friday by the General Administration Department (GAD) of the government, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leaders termed the move as "brazen overreach" and questioned silence of the elected government.
"It's shocking how the government acts as judge, jury, and executioner, denying the aggrieved even a proper hearing. Such brazen overreach is unacceptable and must stop. @OmarAbdullah Sahab heads the GAD -- silence on these terminations cannot be justified," PDP leader and MLA Waheed Para said in a post on X.
Another PDP leader Iltija Mufti, who is daughter of party president Mehbooba Mufti, said "this criminalisation of livelihoods must stop."
"The newly elected government is a mute bystander twiddling their thumbs as more government employees are fired on mere suspicion & flimsy grounds. Only in Kashmir are you guilty until proven otherwise. This criminalisation of livelihoods must stop," Iltija said in a post on X.
While the ruling National Conference didn't react to the latest dismissals, the party in past has been vocal against termination of employees. The NC, in its election manifesto, had promised to review such cases.
Over the past four years, 76 government employees in J&K have been dismissed under Article 311(2)(C).