New Delhi. The Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Tribunal on Saturday upheld the orders passed by the Ministry of Home Affairs declaring Jammu and Kashmir based organizations Muslim League [Masrat Alam faction] and Tehreek E Huriyat as unlawful associations under the UAPA.
These organizations had been formed by late Kashmiri-separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani.
The tribunal upheld the Central Government’s ban on these organizations and extended it to continue to hold force for next 5 years.
It also said that for the next five years, if any person claims to be a member or a sympathizer of these associations, they will face prosecution under stringent UAPA provisions.
The tribunal was presided by Justice Sachin Datta of Delhi High Court.
After examining the evidence produced by the Central Government, the tribunal found that these were Pakistan-sponsored organizations who were carrying out secessionist activities in the valley with the objective of separating Jammu and Kashmir from Bharat to effectuate its merger with Pakistan and establish Islamic rule in the region.
The tribunal also upheld Central government’s contention that these organization were acting on behalf of Pakistan-based terrorist organizations such as Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) of Hafiz Sayeed, Jamaat-ud-Dawa of lftikhar Hyder Rana and Hizbul Mujahideen of Syed Salahuddin and were given constant on-ground support by such terrorist groups to carry out militant operation in the valley.
The central government had earlier this year, banned seven other organizations operating in Kashmir valley.
Tribunals presided by Justice Naveen Chawla and Justice Neena Bansal of Delhi High Court are in the process of scrutinizing these bans.
