MHA bans Jammu & Kashmir based groups AAC, JKIM for 'anti-national activities, supporting terrorism'

The two groups have been banned for five years.

Srinagar: The Centre on Tuesday banned Awami Action Committee (AAC), headed by Kashmir's chief cleric Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and J&K Ittihadul Muslimeen (JKIM), led by Shia leader Masroor Ansari for their alleged involvement in anti-national activities, supporting terrorism, and stoking secessionist sentiments in the Union Territory (UT).

The ban on AAC comes just a month after the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) upgraded Mirwaiz’s security due to elevated threat perceptions, particularly from a prominent Pakistan-based terror group after his visit to Delhi in January.

During the visit, Mirwaiz interacted with migrant Kashmiri Pandits and appeared before a joint parliamentary panel concerning the Waqf Amendment Bill.

In a post on X, Mirwaiz while condemning the ban, said: “….This move seems part of the continuation of the policy of intimidation and disempowerment that is being followed viz a viz J&K since August 2019. The voice of truth may be suppressed through force but will not be silenced.”

The MHA issued separate notifications, stating that both the organisations had engaged in activities prejudicial to the integrity, sovereignty, and security of the country and banned AAC and JKIM for five years under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), 1967.

Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, who heads the AAC, is also the chairman of the separatist Hurriyat Conference and the chief cleric of Srinagar’s Jamia Masjid, Kashmir’s most influential mosque, where he delivers Friday sermons. Masroor Abbas Ansari, the leader of the JKIM, is another senior figure within the Hurriyat.

The MHA claims that the AAC has been actively supporting terrorism, spreading anti-India propaganda, and raising funds for separatist activities in Jammu and Kashmir. The group has also been accused of inciting violence, creating disaffection, and encouraging armed resistance.

The Ministry highlighted multiple criminal cases against AAC leaders, including charges of sedition, unlawful assembly, and incitement of violence. Police stations in Srinagar, including Nowhatta, Safakadal, and Kothi Bagh, have registered cases against Mirwaiz and other AAC members for allegedly delivering anti-government speeches, promoting election boycotts, and instigating protests.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has also filed a chargesheet against AAC spokesperson Aftab Ahmad Shah and others for their alleged involvement in anti-national activities. One of the cases against Mirwaiz is supporting the 'hartal' call given by Syed Ali Geelani on August 3, 2011 and for "instigating the general people and the youth of the valley for waging war" against the sovereignty of India.

Similarly, the MHA accused the JKIM of supporting terrorism, engaging in anti-India propaganda, and mobilising funds to promote separatism and secessionism. The MHA warned that if the groups' activities were not curtailed, it would continue to stir public unrest, challenge Jammu and Kashmir’s accession to India, and disrupt law and order in the region.

In invoking Section 3 of the UAPA, the government has enforced an immediate ban on both the organisations. The Centre emphasized that the move was essential to prevent the activities of groups posing a threat to national security, marking the latest step in a broader crackdown against separatist and militants in Jammu and Kashmir.