Modi Govt committed to eliminating every terror module: Shah
New Delhi, July 4: In a major step under the Centre’s “Zero Tolerance Policy” against terrorism, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has designated 23 more individuals as terrorists under the provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), 1967.
The move was taken under the guidance of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who said the Narendra Modi-led government remains committed to dismantling every terror module to ensure the safety and security of the country and its citizens. Of the 23 newly designated terrorists, 17 are Pakistani nationals while six are Indian nationals. However, all are currently operating from Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), according to the MHA.
In a statement, Shah said the designated terrorists are affiliated with banned organisations and have been involved in anti-India activities, including planning and executing terror attacks, facilitating infiltration across the border, trafficking arms, radicalising and recruiting youth, raising funds, and providing logistical support to terrorist organisations.
The MHA said the formal designation of these individuals would help dismantle the terror ecosystem by restricting their financial networks, movements, recruitment capabilities and other terror-related activities. It added that the action would also strengthen the ability of security and law enforcement agencies to undertake coordinated legal, investigative and preventive measures at national and international levels.
Following the 2019 amendment to the UAPA, which empowered the Central Government to designate individuals as terrorists, a total of 57 individuals have now been notified as terrorists under Section 35 of the Act and listed in the Fourth Schedule.
The newly designated individuals include operatives linked to banned outfits such as Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD), Harkat-ul-Mujahideen (HuM), The Resistance Front (TRF), Pakistan Markazi Muslim League (PMML), Al-Qaeda and ISIS. Several are accused of masterminding or facilitating infiltration into Jammu and Kashmir, coordinating drone-based arms smuggling, recruiting youth, financing terrorism, and planning attacks on security forces and strategic installations across India. Among the six Indian nationals named are Firdous Ahmad Bhat, Haroon Rashid Ganai, Bilal Ahmed Mir, Abid Qayoom Lone, Nazir Ahmed Gujjar and Owais Farooz, all of whom, according to the MHA, are currently based in Pakistan or PoK and are actively assisting Pakistan-based terrorist organisations in recruitment, infiltration, arms supply and terror financing.
