Those named are involved in the 1993 Mumbai blasts, the 26/11 Mumbai attack, the 1999 hijacking of flight IC-814, and terror acts in Jammu and Kashmir

Underlining its commitment of strengthening national security and its policy of zero tolerance to terrorism, India has designated 18 Pakistan-based persons as 'individual terrorists' under the provisions of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) which was amended in 2019.

The list of designated terrorists released by the Ministry of Home Affairs on Tuesday includes Pakistan-based Hizb-ul-Mujahideen chief Syed Salahudeen; Lashkar-e-Taiba's (LeT) top commanders Sajid Mir alias Sajid Majeed and Yusuf Muzammil (both accused in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack); and Abdur Rehman Makki (brother-in-law of LeT Chief Hafiz Saeed).

The list also includes Pakistan-based associates of Dawood Ibrahim including Chhota Shakeel and Javed Chikna (involved in the 1993 Bombay blast case); Ibrahim alias Tiger Memon (who hatched the 1993 Mumbai blasts conspiracy); Mohammad Anis Shaikh (supplied arms and ammunition for the 1993 Bombay blast), and Riyaz Bhatkal and Iqbal Bhatkal (founder members of proscribed terror outfit Indian Mujahideen involved in a series of incidents including the 2010 Pune German Bakery attack).

Other Pakistan-based designated terrorists include Shahid Mehmood; Abu Sufiyan (2002 Akshardham Temple attack); Ibrahim Athar and Yusuf Azhar (IC-814 hijacking), Shahid Latif, Ghulam Nabi Khan alias Saifullah Khalid (deputy supreme head of HM), Zaffar Hussain Bhat (responsible for sending funds to HM operatives in Kashmir Valley), and Abdul Rauf Asghar (key conspirator in the 2001 Parliament attack).

The listed individuals are involved in various acts of terrorism from across the border and have been relentless in their nefarious efforts of destabilizing the country, said the Ministry of Home Affairs.

“Reinforcing the commitment of strengthening national security and its policy of zero tolerance to terrorism, the Modi Government today has declared the following eighteen more individuals as designated terrorists, under the provisions of the UAPA Act 1967 (as amended in 2019) and included their names in the Fourth Schedule of the said Act,” said the statement.

The Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act is an Indian law aimed at effective prevention of unlawful activities associations in India. Its main objective is to make powers available for dealing with activities directed against the integrity and sovereignty of India.

In July 2019, the act was amended allowing the government to designate an individual as a terrorist without trial.

By invoking the said amended provision, the central government designated four individuals in September 2019. The list included the chief, founder and key leader of Jaish-e-Mohammad Maulana Masood Azhar, the chief, founder and key leader of Lashkar-e-Taiba/Jamat-ud-Dawa Hafiz Muhammad, the chief operation commander of Lashkar-e-Taiba and one of its founder members Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi, and Dawood Ibrahim Kaskar, who runs an international underworld crime syndicate and is involved in perpetrating acts of terror.

Later, in July 2020, the government further designated nine more individuals as terrorists. The list included Gurpatwant Singh Pannun of Sikhs for Justice (SFJ), Paramjit Singh of Babbar Khalsa International, Hardeep Singh Nijjar of Khalistan Tiger Force, Gurmit Singh Bagga of Khalistan Zindabad Force and Ranjeet Singh from the same outfit, among others.