In five years, MHA bans nine separatist groups in J-K

SRINAGAR — In the past five years, the Government of India has banned nine separatist groups in Jammu & Kashmir.

Details available with news agency KNO reveal that the Union Home Ministry has declared nine separatist groups in J&K as unlawful associations under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act-1967, since 2019.

On February 18, 2019, the Union Home Ministry banned Jamaat-e-Islami, a cadre-based organisation with a pan-Kashmir presence. The MHA said that the outfit was involved in activities aimed at disrupting India’s integrity.

Nearly a month later, on March 22, 2019, the MHA declared the Jammu & Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) as an unlawful association for “supporting extremism and militancy” and indulging in “anti-national activity”.

On October 5, 2023, the Union Home Ministry banned jailed separatist leader Shabir Ahmad Shah’s Jammu & Kashmir Democratic Freedom Party (JKDFP) for its “anti-India” and “pro-Pakistan” activities.

Two months later, on December 28, 203, the Union Home Ministry banned the Masarat Alam-led Muslim League, a separatist organisation, for “anti-national and secessionist” activities in J&K.

On December 31, 2023, the MHA banned Tehreek-e-Hurriyat (TeH) which was earlier headed by deceased separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani.

On February 28, 2024, the MHA first banned the Muslim Conference Jammu & Kashmir (Sumji faction) and Muslim Conference Jammu & Kashmir (Bhat faction) over ‘terror’ charges. They were respectively part of Hurriyat (G) and Hurriyat (M) before August 5, 2019.

On March 12, 2023, the government banned the Jammu & Kashmir National Front over charges of “indulging in unlawful activities, which are prejudicial to the integrity, sovereignty, and security of the country.”

On March 16, 2024, the Government of India banned four factions of Jammu & Kashmir Peoples League (JKPL) and Jammu & Kashmir Peoples Freedom League (JKPFL).

The MHA declared factions of Jammu and Kashmir Peoples League (JKPL), namely JKPL (Mukhtar Ahmed Waza), JKPL (Bashir Ahmad Tota), JKPL (Ghulam Mohammad Khan alias Sopori) also known as Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Political League and JKPL (Aziz Sheikh) led by Yaqoob Sheikh, as unlawful associations under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act-1967.

On the same day, the Centre banned the Jammu & Kashmir Peoples Freedom League headed by Farooq Rehmani.