The Jammu and Kashmir Bank on Saturday terminated the services of a chief manager for allegedly being a “threat to the security of the nation.” According to the officials, the dismissed chief manager has been identified as Sajad Ahmad Bazaz, and his services were terminated with immediate effect, they added.

An official order issued by J&K Bank reads that the undersigned is satisfied after considering the facts and circumstances of the case contained in the report received from credible agencies, that the activities of Sajad Ahmad Bazaz, Chief Manager, Code no. 4484 posted at Internal Communication and Marketing Department are such as to warrant his dismissal from service under Rule/Provision.

“Whereas the undersigned is satisfied under Rule/Provision 12.29 in OSM that in the interest of the security of the State, it is not expedient to hold an inquiry in the case of Sajad Ahmad Bazaz, Chief Manager, Code no. 4484. Accordingly, I hereby dismiss Sajad Ahmad Bazaz, Chief Manager, Code no. 4484 from service, with immediate effect,” the order reads.

In a startling revelation, investigations have exposed the deep-seated infiltration of Pakistani intelligence agency ISI and terrorist outfits within the administrative machinery of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) Bank. Sajad Ahmad Bazaz, a former head of internal communication at the bank, has been identified as a pivotal asset working on behalf of these covert forces. Despite his role within the bank and as a correspondent-cum-columnist for the influential newspaper Greater Kashmir, Bazaz skillfully propagated the narrative of secessionism and terrorism in the region.

Sources further revealed that the investigation has since unveiled, his career trajectory had been carefully orchestrated by the ISI and those aligned with the separatist-terror narrative. By 2004, he had ascended to the influential position of Head of Internal Communication within the bank. It is the specifics of this trajectory that have left bank management stunned, as Bazaz’s covert activities had gone completely undetected.

Sajad Ahmad Bazaz was lifted from the chair of a clerk to that of a gazetted equivalent post of Editor, specially created for him, sources said that on 20th October 2003, a proposal for creating a post of Editor in J&K Bank was placed before the Board of Directors of J&K Bank and was got approved. The following tell-tale aberrations underline that his appointment to the post of Editor was part of a subversion: Even before the approval of the proposal by the Board, the bank had already four days before, by way of an internal communication on 16th October 2003 invited applications from the cadre of Cashier-cum-Clerks to apply for the newly created post of Editor.

The eligibility norms were tailored to bring in Sajad Ahmad Bazaz. Firstly, the provision of a written test was waived off. Secondly, the catchment was restricted to the category of cashier-cum-clerk cadre to give an undue advantage to Sajad. In itself, this is a matter of criminal investigation wherein an officer grade post was not advertised and opportunity was not provided to members of general public to compete for the post. Thirdly, despite the best efforts to manipulate things in favour of Sajad, the adversary failed to erase footprints.