Masood Azhar, Hafiz Saeed, Dawood Ibrahim Declared Terrorists Under UAPA

Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar, the mastermind of Pathankot terror attack, on Wednesday declared individual terrorists by the government under a new anti-terror law. Apart from Azhar, Lashkar-e-Taiba founder Hafiz Muhammad Saeed, Zaki Ur Rehman Lakhvi and Bombay terror attack mastermind Dawood Ibrahim have also declared terrorists under The Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Amendment Act (UAPA). 

The decisions have been taken nearly a month after Parliament approved a crucial amendment to The Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Amendment Act, 1967.

MHA notifies Masood Azhar, LeT chief Hafiz Saeed, LeT commander Zaki ur Rehman Lakhvi and Dawood Ibrahim as individual terrorists under Unlawful Activities Prevention Act. pic.twitter.com/UnSENx0zPz

— Prasar Bharati News Services (@PBNS_India) September 4, 2019

"And whereas, the central government believes that Maulana Masood Azhar is involved in terrorism and Maulana Masood Azhar is to be notified as a terrorist under the said Act... And whereas, the central government believes that Hafiz Muhammad Saeed is involved in terrorism and Hafiz Muhammad Saeed is to be notified as a terrorist under the said Act..," a Home Ministry notification said.

The ministry cited a series of terror acts in which Pakistan-based Azhar was involved that include attack on the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly complex in 2001, attack on Parliament in 2001, attack on Pathankot air base in 2016 attacks on BSF camp in Srinagar in 2017 and explosion of a CRPF bus at Pulwama on February 14. It said Azhar was also designated as a global terrorist by the UN under the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1267 on May 1, 2019 and was declared as a proclaimed offender by the special judge (POTA), New Delhi.

On Saeed, the home ministry said he was involved in various attacks including Red Fort in 2000, a CRPF camp in Rampur (Uttar Pradesh), India's worst terror strike in Mumbai in 2008 in which 166 people were killed and the attack on a BSF convoy at Udhampur in Jammu and Kashmir in 2015.

Saeed, also the founder of Jamat-ud-Dawa (JuD), was designated as a global terrorist by the UN under the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1267 on December 10, 2008.

Dawood was designated as a global terrorist by the UN under the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1267 and he is listed in al-Qaeda sanction list on November 3, 2003 and the United Nations Security Council had also issued a special notice in his name on April 6, 2006.

Islamic State of Iraq and Levant and Al-Qaeda Sanction Committee of United Nations Security Council had listed Dawood for participating in the financing, planning, facilitating, preparing or perpetrating of acts or activities by, in conjunction with, under the name of, on behalf or in support of, supplying, selling or transferring arms and related material or otherwise supporting acts or activities of Osama bin Laden, al-Qaeda and the Taliban.

The Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Amendment Bill, 2019 that allows the Centre to designate an individual as a 'terrorist' on suspected terror links, was passed by the Upper House on August 2. The Bill amends the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967. 

Under the Act, an investigating officer is required to obtain the prior approval of the Director General of Police (DGP) to seize properties that may be connected with terrorism. The Bill adds that if the investigation is conducted by an sheriff of the National Investigation Agency (NIA), the approval of the Director General of NIA would be required for seizure of such property.

"And whereas, the central government believes that Maulana Masood Azhar is involved in terrorism and Maulana Masood Azhar is to be notified as a terrorist under the said Act... And whereas, the central government believes that Hafiz Muhammad Saeed is involved in terrorism and Hafiz Muhammad Saeed is to be notified as a terrorist under the said Act..," a home ministry notification said.

With PTI Inputs

HIGHLIGHTS

• Masood Azhar, Hafiz Saeed, Zaki ur Rahman Lakhvi and Dawood Ibrahim have been declared as terrorist.
• The decisions come a month after Parliament approved UAPA.
• UAPA allows Centre to designate individual as a 'terrorist' on suspected terror links.