Centre yet to ban rebel outfits in Kashmir

JAMMU, JAN 25: While the Centre is insisting that the United States declare Pakistan a terrorist state for aiding and abetting cross-borde...

JAMMU, JAN 25: While the Centre is insisting that the United States declare Pakistan a terrorist state for aiding and abetting cross-border terrorism, it is yet to ban most of the terrorist outfits operating in Jammu and Kashmir.

This is despite the fact that the pan-Islamic Harkat-ul-Ansar HUA, whose ideologue, Maulana Masood Azhar, was released along with two other terrorists in return for the hostages at Kandahar, is already on the US watch list of terrorist outfits. The other two terrorists released with Masood were Mushtaq Ahmed Zargar alias Mustaq Latram and Ahmed Ummer Syed Sheikh. Latram was the chief of Al Umar.

Official sources, on condition of anonymity, say that, to say nothing of HUA or Lashkar-e-Toiba LeT which emerged in the Kashmir Valley much later, even the ban on terrorist outfits like Hizbul Mujahideen during Governor8217;s rule in the State during 1990, expired long ago. At present, the Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front JKLF is the only outfit banned by the Centre under theprovisions of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act.

Interestingly, the JKLF is virtually defunct as it has no armed group in the State at present. 8220;The ban imposed on it was due to expire by middle of next month and we have recommended to the Centre to extend it,8221; said a senior official who did not want to be quoted.

Outfits like HUA and LeT could not be banned during Governor8217;s rule as they came into existence much after 1990. HUA, which marked its presence in the Valley during 1993-94, shot into prominence when its frontal organisation, Al Faran, kidnapped six Western tourists from Pahalgam in July 1995. The US declared it a terrorist outfit in 1998.

The sources said that the State Government had also recommended to the Centre to ban Lashkar-e-Toiba, Harkat-ul-Ansar and Hizbul Mujahideen, but the matter was pending.

Sources attributed the delay to the cumbersome process. On recommendation of the State Government, the Centre issues a notification banning an outfit. Thereafter, it is to beconfirmed by a special tribunal after listening to both sides within six months, otherwise it ceases to exist.

Story continues below this ad

Though non-imposition of ban on most terrorist outfits has no bearing on counter-insurgency operations, it certainly acts as a deterrent to their overground workers.