News Eye Desk

Srinagar, 11 Mar: The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has declared Awami Action Committee (AAC) and Jammu and Kashmir Ittihadul Muslimeen (JKIM) as “unlawful associations” under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), 1967, for a period of five years.

The bans come amid intensified scrutiny of organizations allegedly involved in “anti-national” activities in Jammu and Kashmir.

Awami Action Committee (AAC), headed by Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, has also been banned under the same provision. The MHA claims that AAC members have been supporting terrorism, propagating anti-India narratives, and attempting to destabilize law and order.

The notification cites multiple cases against AAC members, including a 2018 charge sheet by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and several FIRs for “stone-pelting and anti-government activities.”

The move to outlaw the AAC comes as Mirwaiz Umar Farooq continues to be a key religious and political figure in Kashmir. He had taken over as chairman of the organization following the assassination of his father, Mirwaiz Farooq, in 1990.

Similarly, the JKIM, led by Masroor Abbas Ansari, has been accused of engaging in activities that the government claims threaten India’s sovereignty, integrity, and security. The MHA notification, a copy of which is with JKNS, alleges that the organization has been involved in “mobilizing funds for separatist movements, promoting the use of arms, and inciting unrest.”

The government justified the ban under Section 3(1) of the UAPA, warning that failing to curb JKIM’s activities could allow it to further advocate for J&K’s secession and disrupt public order.

The ban on AAC and JKIM mark the Centre’s widening crackdown on separatist and religious-political groups in J&K. Over the past few years, the government has already banned Jamaat-e-Islami J&K, JKLF, and several other organizations under UAPA.

The decision is expected to have major political implications in Kashmir, where both AAC and JKIM have historically played a role in socio-political and religious affairs.

With these latest actions, the MHA has signaled that it will not tolerate any entity it perceives as a threat to India’s security and sovereignty.(NewsEye)