The Centre on Tuesday designated 4 operatives of two terror teams lively in Kashmir as terrorists below the Illegal Actions Prevention Act (UAPA). The terrorists have been recognized as Hizb-ul-Mujahideen operatives Showkat Ahmad Sheikh, Basit Ahmed Reshi and Imtiyaz Ahmed Kandoo, and Habibullah Malik of Lashkar-e-Taiba.
In response to a notification issued by the Ministry of Dwelling Affairs (MHA), not less than considered one of them is a Pakistani whereas others are of Kashmiri descent, and all function from Pakistan.
In response to the MHA notification, Sheikh alias Showkat Mochi is a local of Baramulla in Kashmir however is presently primarily based in Pakistan. He, the MHA has claimed, is working because the “chief launching commander of terror outfit Hizb-Ul-Mujahideen”, which is already proscribed below the UAPA.
“Sheikh is instrumental in spreading terror…concerned in coordinating infiltration and recruitment of terrorists and execution of terror assaults owing to his deep community of associates in North Kashmir,” the notification stated.
Kandoo, the MHA claimed, of Kraltang, Sopore in Jammu and Kashmir, however presently primarily based in Pakistan, “has been concerned in managing funds and supplying arms, ammunition to terrorists, in addition to narcotics smuggling”. Kandoo has been coordinating assaults on safety forces and civilians…has been radicalising and motivating youths to affix terrorist ranks to hold out terror actions within the Kashmir Valley,” the MHA stated.
Reshi, a local of Yemberzalwari Shiva Dangerpora in Baramulla and presently primarily based in Pakistan, has been notified a terrorist as he “is concerned in subversive actions and coordinating goal killings in Jammu and Kashmir…deliberate and executed a terror assault on police guard put up of shrine Baba Ali Raina at Tajjaur Shariet Peth Astan in Sopore on the August 18, 2015, by which a police personnel and a civilian had been killed…coordinates in recruitment and execution of terror assaults”. He manages arms and ammunition, funds terror actions and motivates youths to affix terrorist ranks within the Valley, the MHA stated.
Blocking funds
The variety of individuals designated as terrorists since 2019 when the UAPA was amended has now gone as much as 42. Designating an individual terrorist below the UAPA helps safety businesses to dam the funds out there to the person involved and in addition restricts his motion in and in a foreign country. Earlier than the 2019 modification to the Act, solely organisations might be designated as terrorist.
LeT operative Malik alias Sajid Jutt is a Pakistani nationwide primarily based in Kasur, and is claimed to be additionally related to The Resistance Entrance (TRF). “Malik has been concerned in radicalising Kashmiri youths and recruiting them for militancy by means of his community …Malik is the important thing handler of terrorists who carried out assault on Indian troopers in Bhata Dhurian, Poonch…has been concerned in drone dropping of arms and communication techniques in Jammu area for terrorists,” the MHA stated.
The MHA has claimed that Malik has created a community of hardcore militants and has masterminded a number of terrorist assaults within the Valley, together with the fidayeen assault at Hyderpora in June 2013, and killing of Chadoora station home officer in December 2013.