The Jammu and Kashmir administration, under Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, has terminated the services of five more government employees over their alleged links with proscribed terror organisations. This decisive action, taken on January 13, 2026, brings the total number of government employees dismissed for similar reasons to over 85 since 2020. The dismissals were carried out by invoking Article 311(2)(c) of the Constitution of India, a special provision that allows for the removal of a civil servant without a formal inquiry in the interest of the security of the state. The sacked employees include Mohammad Ishfaq, a teacher; Tariq Ahmad Rah (or Shah), a laboratory technician; Bashir Ahmad Mir, an assistant lineman; Farooq Ahmad Bhat, a field worker in the Forest Department; and Mohammad Yousuf (or Yousf Kumar), a driver in the Health Department. According to intelligence dossiers, these individuals were actively associated with outfits such as Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Hizbul Mujahideen (HM). Notably, Mohammad Ishfaq, the teacher, was found to be in regular contact with Pakistan-based LeT commander Mohammad Amin alias Abu Khubaib, who is a designated terrorist. His activities included receiving operational roles from LeT and being tasked with executing the killing of a police officer in Doda in early 2022. Similarly, other employees were implicated in providing logistical support, facilitating communication, or aiding terror activities while misusing their positions of public trust. Officials stated that these terminations are part of a broader, sustained effort to dismantle the 'terror ecosystem' and its infiltration within government machinery. The move has drawn criticism from political leaders like Mehbooba Mufti, who termed such actions a 'normalisation of injustice' and raised concerns about dismissals without judicial scrutiny. However, the administration maintains that the decisions are based on credible intelligence inputs and prolonged surveillance, aiming for a zero-tolerance approach against terrorism.