Updated: October 27, 2020 5:13:46 pm
Syed Salahuddin, Supreme Commander of Hizbul Mujahideen (AP Photo)
The Center has designated 18 key agents and leaders of groups such as Lashkar e Taiba (LeT), Hizb Ul Mujahideen (HuM), Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), Indian Mujahideen and members of the Dawood Ibrahim gang as individual terrorists under of the recently amended Law for the Prevention of Illegal Activities (UAPA).
Those on the list include key 11/26 conspirators, Sajid Mir and Yusuf Muzammil, alias Muzammil Butt; Case IC 814 accused and leaders JeM Ibrahim Athar and Yusuf Azhar; The brother of JeM Masood Azhar boss, Rauf Asghar, who is a key conspirator in the cases of attack on Parliament, attack on Pathankot air base and attack on the Pulwama CRPF convoy; The founders of the Indian mujahideen Riyaz and Iqbal Bhatkal; HuM boss Syed Salauddin and Dawood’s close associates Chhota Shakeel and Anees Shaikh, in addition to the 1993 blasts, indicted Tiger Memon, among others. All of these are said to be currently in Pakistan.
“Reinforcing the commitment to strengthen national security and its policy of zero tolerance for terrorism, the Government of Modi today declared… eighteen more persons as designated terrorists, in accordance with the provisions of the UAPA Act of 1967 (modified in 2019) and their names were included in the Fourth Schedule of said Act, ”said a statement from the MHA on Tuesday.
Other individuals designated as terrorists by the latest warrant include Abdur Rehman Makki, brother-in-law of LeT chief Hafiz Saeed. Makki is also LeT’s head of political affairs and served as head of LeT’s foreign affairs department.
Another inclusion is that of Shahid Mehmood aka Shahid Mehmood Rehmatullah. Mehmood is Deputy Head of the outlawed Pakistan-based Falah-i-lnsaniyat Foundation (FIF), a front-line organization of LeT. In particular, the National Investigation Agency is already investigating a case of financing of terrorist activities in India by FIF on behalf of religious donations.
Farhatullah Ghori, alias Abu Sufiyan, accused of being involved in the 2002 attack on the Akshardham temple and the suicide attack on the Task Force’s office in Hyderabad in 2005, is also among those designated as terrorists.
Apart from this, Shahid Latif alias Chota Shahid Bhai, who is the commander of the Pakistan-based JeM Sialkot sector, and is involved in the launch of JeM terrorists in India, has been included in the list. He is also said to be involved in the planning, facilitation and execution of terrorist attacks in India.
Among the HuM leaders on the list, in addition to Salauddin, are Ghulam Nabi Khan and Zafar Hussain Bhat.
While Khan is said to be HuM’s “Supreme Deputy” in Pakistan, Bhat handles the group’s financial affairs and is responsible for sending funds for HM’s operations in the Kashmir Valley. In the Dawood gang, Javed Chikna has also been designated as a terrorist.
“These individuals are involved in various acts of terrorism across the border and have been relentless in their nefarious efforts to destabilize the country,” the MHA statement said.
The Center had amended the Unlawful Activity (Prevention) Act 1967 in August 2019 to include the provision to designate a person as a terrorist. Before this amendment, only organizations could be designated as terrorist organizations.
In the first orders under the new law, in September last year, the government declared Hafiz Saeed and Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi of LeT, Masood Azhar of JeM and the underworld Don Dawood Ibrahim terrorists. Subsequently, nine leaders of the Khalistan movement were designated as terrorists.
© The Indian Express (P) Ltd
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