Centre designates Arbaz Ahmad Mir as terrorist under UAPA, bans terror outfit

The Ministry of Home Affairs on Friday designated Arbaz Ahmad Mir as a terrorist under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA).

Arbaz Ahmad Mir was the main conspirator behind the killing of Rajni Bala – a Dogra Hindu. (Representative Image)

By Sunil Bhat: Arbaz Ahmad Mir, associated with Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), was designated as a terrorist under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Friday.

Arbaz Ahmad Mir was the main conspirator behind the killing of Rajni Bala – a Dogra Hindu woman – who was a government teacher. She was shot dead in South Kashmir’s Kulgam district in May last year.

Later in June, security forces eliminated terrorists who had killed her after a two-day encounter in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kulgam.

The central government also banned the People’s Anti-Fascist Front (PAFF), a proxy outfit of the terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), for its involvement in terror acts in Jammu and Kashmir and elsewhere, reported PTI.

In a notification, the ministry said the PAFF had been regularly issuing threats to security forces, political leaders and civilians working in Jammu and Kashmir from other states.

ALSO READ | Security forces killed 172 terrorists in 92 encounters in Valley in 2022: Kashmir Police

ENDEAVOUR TO DISMANTLE ECOSYSTEM

Home Minister Amit Shah had said in December that the ecosystem in Jammu and Kashmir that provides impetus to terrorists needs to be dismantled in order to ensure the well-being of common people in the valley.

The union home minister also reviewed the security alacrity and several other aspects to embolden the security in Jammu and Kashmir. He also directed officials to adhere to the policy of zero tolerance against terrorism strictly.

“A terror ecosystem comprising elements that aid, abet and sustain the terrorist-separatist campaign to the detriment of the well-being of common people require to be dismantled,” said Shah.

ALSO READ | J&K govt razes property of Hizbul commander Amir Khan in Pahalgam