*MHA designates 23 operatives as individual terrorists under UAPA; 11 are J&K natives*
*Seven J&K natives currently based in PoK, four in Pakistan; Centre cites involvement in recruitment, infiltration, terror financing, logistics*
Srinagar, July 04 The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Saturday designated 23 operatives linked to banned outfits Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), The Resistance Front (TRF) and Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) as individual terrorists under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).
In a series of notifications available with news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), the MHA said the designated individuals were involved in terror attacks, recruitment, infiltration, terror financing, arms smuggling and providing logistical support for terrorism in India.
According to the notifications, 11 of the 23 designated individuals are originally from Jammu and Kashmir, while the remaining are Pakistani nationals. The Ministry said seven of the J&K natives are currently based in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), while four are residing in Pakistan.
The seven J&K natives based in PoK have been identified as Masood Ilyas Kashmiri (Rawalkot), Mufti Muhammad Asghar Khan (Abbaspur), Hafiz Abdul Shakoor (Kotli), Abdullah Jehadi (Kundalshahi, Neelum), Ghulam Fareed (Bading, Bimber), Bilal Ahmad Mir of Sopore (Muzaffarabad) and Abid Qayoom Lone of Baramulla (PoK).
The four J&K natives currently residing in Pakistan are Haroon Rashid Ganai of Anantnag, Nazir Ahmed Gujjar of Doda, Owais Farooz Mir of Pulwama and Mohammed Shaheed Faisal, originally from Bengaluru with an Indian address, who is now based in Rawalpindi.
The MHA said 10 of the newly designated individuals are affiliated with JeM, while 13 are linked to LeT, with some also associated with TRF or JuD.
According to the Ministry, the designated operatives were involved in recruiting and training terrorists, facilitating infiltration into Jammu and Kashmir, planning terror attacks, supplying arms and ammunition through drones and cross-border networks, raising funds, managing logistics and operating terror camps.
The government also linked several JeM operatives to the 2016 Nagrota Army camp attack and the 2022 Sunjwan attack on security forces.
Among the senior Pakistan-based operatives designated under the UAPA are Abdul Rauf, Hafiz Khalid Waleed, Maulana Saifullah Khalid, Mohammad Yaqoob, Molana Yousaf Taibi, Qari Yaqub Sheikh, Rana Iftikhar, Waseem Noor Jat, Ashfaq Ahmad, Maulana Imdad Ullah Makki and Mohammad Mussadiq.
In a separate notification, the MHA alleged that Mohammed Shaheed Faisal has links with LeT, JeM, Al-Qaeda and ISIS modules. It accused him of recruiting youth through social media, arranging weapons training in Pakistan, raising funds, training operatives in encrypted communications and fake identities, and facilitating the delivery of arms and ammunition.
The Centre said it exercised its powers under Section 35 of the UAPA after concluding that the 23 individuals were involved in terrorism. With the latest additions, the number of designated individual terrorists under the Fourth Schedule of the UAPA has risen to 80—(KNO)
