MHA designates 23 individuals as terrorists under UAPA

Srinagar, Jul 4: The Centre on Saturday designated 23 more individuals as terrorists under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), including 11 natives of Jammu and Kashmir, saying the move is intended to dismantle terror networks operating from Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).
The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) issued a notification adding the names to the Fourth Schedule of the UAPA, taking the total number of individuals notified as terrorists under the law to 57 since the 2019 amendment empowered the Centre to designate individuals as terrorists.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah said PM Modi led government remains committed to its policy of “zero tolerance” against terrorism and would continue taking action against those involved in activities targeting India.
In a post on X, Shah said the 23 individuals, affiliated with banned terrorist organisations, had been designated under the UAPA for their alleged involvement in anti-India activities, terrorist attacks, infiltration, arms smuggling, recruitment and financing of terrorism.
Shah said “Pursuing PM Shri Narendra Modi Ji’s vision of zero tolerance against terror: the MHA today declared 23 dreaded terror functionaries affiliated with banned organisations as terrorists under the provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. The designated terrorists are involved in anti-India activities, carrying out terror attacks, inciting terror, trafficking arms, infiltrating through the border, facilitating terrorist organisations, raising funds and recruiting terrorists. Out of the 23 terrorists announced today, 17 are Pakistani nationals and 6 are Indian nationals. However, all of them at present operate terrorist activities from Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir.”
An official said that formally designating these individuals as terrorists will not only help dismantle the terror ecosystem by curbing their financial networks, movements, recruitment capabilities, and terror-linked activities, but will also send a strong message of deterrence against anti-national and terrorist acts. Furthermore, it will enhance the capacity of security and law enforcement agencies to initiate coordinated legal, investigative, and preventive actions at both national and international levels.
According to the MHA, 17 of the newly designated individuals are Pakistani nationals while six are Indian nationals. It said all 23 are currently operating from Pakistan or Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
The ministry also said 11 of those designated are natives of Jammu and Kashmir, who are allegedly operating from across the border after crossing over and are involved in facilitating infiltration, recruitment, logistics, weapons supply and financing for terrorist organisations.
The Jammu and Kashmir natives named in the notification are Masood Ilyas Kashmiri, Abdullah Jihadi, Firdous Ahmad Bhat, Haroon Rashid Ganai, Bilal Ahmed Mir, Abid Qayoom Lone, Nazir Ahmed Gujjar, Mohammad Yaqoob, Owais Farooz, Wasim Noor Jat and Mohammad Shahid Faisal.
Officials said the designation would strengthen legal action against the accused by enabling investigating agencies to target their financial networks, restrict their movements and enhance coordination with domestic and international agencies dealing with terrorism-related cases.
The notification includes operatives linked to Pakistan-based organisations such as Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD), Harkat-ul-Mujahideen (HuM), Pakistan Markazi Muslim League (PMML), Al-Qaeda and ISIS.
According to the government, several of those designated have been accused of coordinating cross-border infiltration, arranging the supply of weapons and explosives, recruiting youth through social media, raising funds for terror activities and planning attacks in different parts of the country, particularly in Jammu and Kashmir.
Among those named are Masood Ilyas Kashmiri, whom the government described as a close associate of JeM chief Masood Azhar and an infiltration coordinator into Kashmir; Mufti Mohammad Asghar Khan, alleged to head JeM’s military wing in PoK; and Abdul Rauf, Hafiz Khalid Waleed and Maulana Saifullah Khalid, who are accused of holding senior positions in Pakistan-based terrorist organisations.
The MHA said formally designating the individuals as terrorists would help curb their fundraising, recruitment, movement and operational capabilities while strengthening the legal framework for coordinated action against them.
The UAPA was amended in 2019 to allow the Centre to notify individuals, in addition to organisations, as terrorists under Section 35 of the Act.
Officials said the latest notification forms part of the government’s continuing efforts to target the leadership, facilitators and support structures of cross-border terrorist organisations. (KNO)