- MHA designated 23 Pakistan-based operatives as UAPA individual terrorists.
- Designation targets terror activities; linked to LeT and JeM outfits.
- Action freezes assets targeting 17 Pakistani, 6 Indian nationals.
The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Saturday designated 23 Pakistan-based operatives, including close associates of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) founder Hafiz Muhammad Saeed and members linked to Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), as individual terrorists under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).
With the latest additions, the total number of individuals listed as designated terrorists under the Fourth Schedule of the UAPA has risen to 80.
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Amit Shah: ‘Zero Tolerance Against Terror’
Announcing the move, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said the individuals were involved in anti-India activities, including terror attacks, arms trafficking, cross-border infiltration, recruitment, radicalisation, and terror financing.
“Pursuing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of zero tolerance against terror, the MHA today declared 23 dreaded terror functionaries as terrorists under the provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.”
Shah said 17 of the newly designated terrorists are Pakistani nationals, while six are Indian nationals currently operating from Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK).
“The Modi government is determined to dismantle every terror network to protect India and its people,” he added.
Accused Of Terror Attacks, Recruitment And Drone Smuggling
According to the Home Ministry, the designated individuals are accused of involvement in:
- Terror attacks on security forces in Jammu and Kashmir
- Cross-border infiltration
- Drone-based smuggling of arms and ammunition
- Terror financing
- Radicalisation and recruitment through social media
- Facilitating operations of LeT, JeM and other terror outfits
The ministry said formally designating them as terrorists would enable agencies to freeze assets, block financial networks, restrict movement, curb recruitment activities and strengthen legal action at both national and international levels.
Close Associates Of Hafiz Saeed Among Those Listed
Several close aides of LeT founder Hafiz Saeed feature in the latest list.
These include:
- Abdul Rauf, who allegedly operates under Saeed’s command in Lahore
- Rana Iftikhar, accused of recruiting and radicalising youth
- Hafiz Khalid Waleed, son-in-law of LeT chief Hafiz Mohammad Saeed
- Maulana Saifullah Khalid
- Maulana Yousaf Taibi, all linked to Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD), the organisation headed by Saeed.
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JeM Operatives Linked To Major Terror Attacks
The list also includes several Jaish-e-Mohammed operatives allegedly involved in major terror attacks.
Among them are:
- Mufti Muhammad Asghar Khan, identified as a launch commander and one of the alleged masterminds of the 2016 Nagrota Army camp attack.
- Hafiz Abdul Shakoor and Abdullah Jehadi, accused of facilitating infiltration linked to the same attack.
- Mohammad Musadiq is involved in sending consignments of arms and ammunition to India using drones. Additionally, he was involved in conducting reconnaissance of strategic locations such as the Ram Janmabhoomi complex in Ayodhya, the RSS headquarters in Nagpur, and the IOCL refinery in Panipat.
- Ashfaq Ahmad, accused of providing technical support and raising funds for JeM from Bahawalpur.
Indian Nationals Operating From Pakistan
The notification also names Indian nationals allegedly operating from Pakistan.
Among them is Mohammed Shaheed Faisal, originally from Bengaluru and currently based in Rawalpindi. The MHA alleged that Faisal has links with LeT, JeM, Al-Qaeda and ISIS modules and was involved in online radicalisation, arranging weapons training in Pakistan, raising funds, and teaching the use of encrypted communication and fake identities to evade law enforcement.
What UAPA Designation Means
The UAPA was amended in 2019 to allow the Centre to designate individuals—not just organisations—as terrorists.
The Home Ministry said the latest action will help security agencies disrupt terror ecosystems by targeting finances, recruitment, logistics and operational networks, while strengthening coordinated legal and investigative action against terrorism.
