Centre bans Shabir Shah-led Jammu & Kashmir Democratic Freedom Party
PTC News Desk: The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has outlawed separatist leader Shabir Ahmad Shah-led Jammu and Kashmir Democratic Freedom Party (JKDFP) under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) for its suspected anti-India and pro-Pakistan activities.
Shah was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on July 25, 2017, in a 2005 money laundering case and is also an accused in a terror-funding case investigated by the National Investigation Agency. He is currently lodged in a Delhi jail.
According to a notification issued by the government, Shah established the JKDFP in 1998.
“The members of the JKDFP have been at the forefront of secessionist activities in Jammu and Kashmir and want to create a separate Islamic State. The leader of members of the JKDFP has been involved in raising funds through various sources including Pakistan and its proxy organizations for perpetrating unlawful activities, including supporting terrorist activities, sustained stone-pelting on security forces in Jammu and Kashmir,” the Ministry said in a notification.
It said that the JKDFP and its members' activities show blatant disregard for the country's constitutional authorities and constitutional framework.
The ministry claimed that Shah has been engaged in unlawful activities that jeopardize the country's integrity, sovereignty, security, and communal harmony and that there have been a number of inputs showing links between the JKDFP and banned terrorist organizations.
“Hence, immediate and prompt action is required against the organization. The Central government is of the opinion that if there is no immediate curb or control of unlawful activities of the Jammu and Kashmir Democratic Freedom Party, it will use this opportunity to continue with the anti-national activities which are detrimental to the territorial integrity, security and sovereignty of the country; continue advocating the secession of the Jammu and Kashmir from the Union of India while disputing its accession to the Union of India; escalate its insurrectionary activities including attempt to carve out an Islamic State out of the territory of the Union of India by destabilizing the government established by law; continue propagating anti-national sentiments of the people of Jammu and Kashmir with the intention to cause disaffection against India and disrupt public order," the notification added.
- With inputs from agencies
