UAPA Crackdown: Centre Names 23 Pakistan-Based Operatives as Designated Terrorists

In a sweeping national security offensive, the Home Ministry expands its direct blacklists while state counter-terror forces neutralize an active operational sleeper cell.

NEW DELHI — Executing a highly coordinated dual-pronged offensive under its strict “Zero Tolerance” policy against cross-border subversion, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has designated 23 Pakistan-based operatives as individual terrorists under Section 35 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).

The sweeping federal designations coincide directly with a successful multi-state tactical sweep by the Gujarat Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS), which intercepted and arrested eight active operatives belonging to the banned Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) network across Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh.

The UAPA Blacklist: Profiling the High-Value Targets

The 23 blacklisted individuals—comprising 17 Pakistani nationals and 6 Indian nationals currently operating out of Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK)—are tied directly to frontline proxy groups including Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD), and The Resistance Front (TRF).

By upgrading these individuals to the Fourth Schedule of the UAPA, India’s federal enforcement bodies, including the National Investigation Agency (NIA), gain instant statutory authority to seize their domestic assets, freeze financial pipelines, and enforce immediate arms embargoes.

Key Figures Among the 23 Designated Terrorists
├── Mohammad Musaddiq ("Doctor"): JeM launch commander; managed recce of Ayodhya & Nagpur RSS HQ; orchestrates drone weapons drops
├── Masood Ilyas Kashmiri: Close confidant of Masood Azhar; handles Kashmir social media recruitment & fundraising
└── Mufti Mohammad Asghar Khan: Military wing chief in PoJK; chief mastermind behind the Nagrota Army camp attack

Intelligence dossiers indicate these handlers have graduated from primitive border-infiltration logistics to high-tech cross-border support, frequently deploying remote-controlled drone fleets to bypass physical fencing and drop payloads of arms, ammunition, and explosive components deep into Indian territory.

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The Full List of Newly Designated Individuals

The individuals added to the federal terrorist roster under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act include:

• Masood Ilyas Kashmiri

• Mohammad Mussadiq (alias Doctor)

• Mufti Muhammad Asghar Khan

• Hafiz Abdul Shakoor

• Abdullah Jehadi

• Firdous Ahmad Bhat

• Ghulam Fareed

• Bilal Ahmad Mir

• Abid Quyoom Lone

• Nazir Ahmed Gujjar

• Abdul Rauf

• Ashfaq Ahmad

• Hafiz Khalid Waleed

• Maulana Saifullah Khalid

• Mohammad Yaqoob

• Maulana Yousaf Taibi

• Owais Farooz

• Qari Yaqub Sheikh

• Rana Iftikhar

• Waseem Noor Jat

• Mohammed Shaheed Faisal

• Maulana Imdad Ullah Makki

• Haroon Rashid Ganai

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Domestic Containment: Gujarat ATS Shatters Sleeper Cell

Simultaneously, the Gujarat ATS shut down a dangerous localized radicalization ring in a joint overnight raid alongside Madhya Pradesh police squads. The joint task force apprehended eight members working under external guidance to lay the foundational architecture for an urban sabotage cell.

Senior investigators revealed that the cell was running a systematic translation network, converting extremist pamphlets and books penned by JeM founder Masood Azhar into the local Gujarati language to widen their domestic recruitment pool.

While no active cache of weaponry was uncovered during this specific raid, officers seized 254 items of radical literature, official JeM flags, and eight direct letters composed in Urdu addressed to Masood Azhar. The group had already received an initial structural funding layer of ₹3 lakh from cross-border handlers to purchase a secondary vehicle and secure rented urban hideouts intended to lodge incoming foreign strike units.

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What legal shift happens when an individual is named under UAPA?

Prior to the landmark 2019 amendments, the government could only declare entire organizations as terrorist groups. Designating a specific individual allows agencies like the NIA to lock down personal financial holdings, pursue international Interpol Red Notices, and prosecute individuals directly for providing material support, even if they operate under shell names.

How did the arrested Gujarat cell fund its operations?

Initial investigations point to an electronic wire transfer of ₹3 lakh routed through intermediary channels by overseas handlers named “Abdullah” and “Mohammad Umar.” The funds were immediately spent to purchase a vehicle and search for secluded rental properties to function as local logistical safehouses.

What is the primary role of “The Resistance Front” (TRF)?

TRF is a recognized offshoot and front organization for Pakistan-based terror groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba. It was engineered to give regional militancy a domestic facade on social media, though its leadership, logistics, and weapon streams remain tied directly to veteran commanders based across the Line of Control.

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