The Union Home Ministry on Saturday designated 23 Pakistan-based operatives linked to terrorist organisations including Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Al Qaeda and ISIS as individual terrorists under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), according to an official notification.
With the latest additions, the total number of individuals designated as terrorists under the UAPA has increased to 80.
The move allows investigative agencies, including the National Investigation Agency (NIA), to initiate stringent action against the listed individuals, including freezing financial assets, restricting arms-related transactions and attaching or seizing properties linked to them.
What The UAPA Provision Means
The Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 empowers the Central Government to designate an individual as a terrorist if it believes the person is involved in terrorism or activities related to terrorism.
The provision to declare individuals as terrorists was introduced through the 2019 amendment to the UAPA. Before the amendment, only organisations could be notified as terrorist entities under the law.
The designation strengthens the government’s ability to target terrorist networks by enabling financial investigations and property-related action against individuals accused of supporting or carrying out terrorist activities.
23 Pakistan-Based Operatives Added
The latest list comprises operatives allegedly based in Pakistan and linked to multiple terror outfits responsible for attacks, including those targeting security forces in Jammu and Kashmir.
Among those designated are several members associated with Jaish-e-Mohammad.
JeM Operatives Declared Terrorists
The Home Ministry has designated the following Jaish-e-Mohammad operatives as individual terrorists:
- Masood Ilyas Kashmiri
- Mohammad Mussadiq alias Doctor
- Mufti Muhammad Asghar Khan alias Abu Saad
- Hafiz Abdul Shakoor alias Qari Zarrar
- Abdullah Jehadi
- Ghulam Fareed
- Maulana Imdad Ullah Makki
- Waseem Noor Jat
Lashkar-e-Taiba And Other Terror Operatives Listed
The notification also includes several operatives linked to Lashkar-e-Taiba and other global terror organisations.
Those designated include:
- Firdous Ahmad Bhat
- Haroon Rashid Ganai
- Bilal Ahmad Mir
- Abid Quyoom Lone
- Nazir Ahmed Gujjar
- Abdul Rauf alias Hafiz Abdul Rauf
- Ashfaq Ahmad
- Hafiz Khalid Waleed
- Maulana Saifullah Khalid
- Mohammad Yaqoob
- Maulana Yousaf Taibi
- Owais Farooz
- Qari Yaqub Sheikh
- Rana Iftikhar
- Mohammed Shaheed Faisal
According to the notification, Mohammed Shaheed Faisal is also linked to Al Qaeda and ISIS in addition to Lashkar-e-Taiba.
Agencies Empowered To Take Action
With the designation now in force, agencies such as the National Investigation Agency can:
- Freeze bank accounts and financial assets linked to the designated individuals.
- Restrict transactions involving arms and related materials.
- Initiate proceedings to attach or seize movable and immovable properties associated with the accused.
- Strengthen investigations into terror financing and cross-border terror networks.
The Centre has increasingly used the amended provisions of the UAPA to target individual operatives believed to be involved in planning, financing or facilitating terrorist activities, particularly those operating from across the border.