Who is Dr Nisar ul Hassan? The ex-SMHS doctor now under lens in Faridabad terror probe

Dr Nisar ul Hassan, a former Assistant Professor of Medicine at Srinagar’s SMHS Hospital, is once again under the scanner after his name emerged in the Faridabad terror conspiracy linked to an inter-state “white-collar” Jaish-e-Mohammed module connected to the Red Fort blast case. Removed from government service in November 2023 for “anti-national credentials” under Article 311(2)(c), Dr Nisar has long been a deeply polarising figure — both for his medical career and his alleged separatist-aligned politics.

A native of Achabal village in Sopore, an area once synonymous with militancy, Dr Nisar completed his MBBS from Government Medical College, Srinagar in 1991 and his MD from the Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences in 2001.
His sharp public statements, activism within the Doctors Association of Kashmir (DAK), and perceived ideological leanings repeatedly brought him under the radar of security agencies. The Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor had even described him as a “ticking time bomb.”

Flashpoints during his medical tenure

As President of the Doctors Association of Kashmir, his years in government service were punctuated by confrontations with successive administrations:

• May 2013: He called a strike after the spurious drugs scandal in J&K, a move that gained support from separatist groups like the Hurriyat Conference.

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• May 2014: The Omar Abdullah government suspended him for allegedly urging government employees to boycott election duty, stop paying taxes, and “strengthen institutions of freedom.”

• He remained suspended for four years before being reinstated in August 2018 during Governor’s Rule.

Though he maintained a low public profile from 2018 to 2023, his earlier statements resurfaced, leading to his termination under Article 311.

Linked again to ‘white-collar’ module

Investigators are now probing Dr Nisar’s professional association with Dr Mohammad Umar Nabi, alleged mastermind of the Red Fort blast conspiracy. Umar Nabi worked under Dr Nisar for over a year at Al Falah University, where Nisar served as Professor of General Medicine.

Agencies are examining whether this period of association has any bearing on the larger terror network being uncovered.

Wife denies absconding claims

Speaking to India Today, Dr Nisar’s wife, Dr Suraiya, said the doctor’s relationship with Umar Nabi was strained, claiming Nisar was frustrated by the junior doctor’s absences and lax work ethic — a dispute that eventually led to Nabi’s shift to another ward.

She dismissed reports that Dr Nisar had gone underground, stating he has been “formally detained” by the NIA for questioning along with several faculty members and students of Al Falah University.