Govt designates Hizb-Ul-Mujahideen operative Asif Maqbool Dar as terrorist

New Delhi [India], January 7 (ANI): Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Saturday designated the banned outfit Hizb-Ul- Mujahideen operative Dr Asif Maqbool Dar as a terrorist under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 for his involvement in nefariously activities and influencing Kashmiri youth to take up arms against Indian Government and Security Forces.

The MHA made the announcement through a notification, stating that “Asif is involved in instigating or provoking the youth of Kashmir Valley for terrorist activities by using social media platforms”. Asif, who is a resident of Jammu and Kashmir, is presently based at Daman, Ash Sharqiyah, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, the notification stated.

A 1981-born son of Mohammad Maqbool Dar, Asif is one of the “leading radical voices on social media and involved in nefariously influencing Kashmiri youth to take up arms against Indian Government and Security Forces”.

He originally belongs to Bandey Payeen village in Jammu and Kashmir’s Baramulla district, the notification stated.

Asif is accused in a case investigated by the National Investigating Agency (NIA) relating to the conspiracy hatched by the cadres of a terrorist organisation to undertake violent terrorist acts in Jammu and Kashmir and major cities in India including New Delhi on the direction of handlers based across the border.

The notification said the Central Government believes that Asif is involved in terrorism and he is to be added as a terrorist “in the exercise of the powers conferred section 35 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967.”

With his inclusion in the Fourth Schedule under UAPA, Mir will be the 52nd individual to be designated a terrorist, it said.

The Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, of 1967 has been enacted to provide for more effective prevention of certain unlawful activities of individuals and associations and for dealing with terrorist activities and for matters connected therewith.

The Centre uses clause (a) of sub-section (1) and sub-section (2) of section 35 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 to add the name of an individual in the Fourth Schedule to the Act, if it believes that he is involved in terrorism.