UAPA tribunal confirms ban on Tehreek-e-Hurriyat, Muslim League J&K faction

The one-member tribunal of Delhi High Court judge Sachin Datta was constituted under the stringent anti-terror law in January to assess whether there was 'sufficient cause' behind the imposition of the ban.

The UAPA Tribunal on Saturday confirmed the order passed by Ministry of Home Affairs declaring 'Muslim League Jammu and Kashmir' (Masrat Alam faction) and 'Tehreek E Huriyat Jammu and Kashmir', set up by S A Geelani as an unlawful association under Section 3(1) of the anti terror law.

Justice Sachin Datta of Delhi High Court, who presided over the tribunal, confirmed orders of the MHA issued on December 27, 2003 and December 31, 2023.

With this, the ban on these organisations will continue to hold force for next five years and any person claiming to be member or sympathiser of these association will face prosecution under stringent UAPA provision for next five years.

Additional Solicitor General Ashwarya Bhati and advocate Rajat Nair appeared before the tribunal for the central government.

Advocate Warisha Farasat contested the ban on behalf of Muslim League Jammu and Kashmir Masrat Alam faction.

By the final report, the tribunal after examining the evidence produced by the central government upheld the ban holding that these were Pakistan sponsored organisations which were carrying out secessionist activities in the valley with the objective of separating Jammu and Kashmir from India so as to realise the merger of Jammu and Kashmir with Pakistan and establish Islamic rule over there.

The tribunal also found merit in the contention of the central government that these organisation were acting on behalf of Pakistan based terrorist organisations such as Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) of Hafiz Sayeed, Jamaat-ud-Dawa of lftikhar Hyder Rana and Hizbul Mujahideen of Syed Salahuddin and were giving constant on ground support to such organisation to carry out militant operation in the valley.

Separate tribunals headed by Justice Naveen Chawla and Justice Neena Bansal of Delhi High Court are in the process of scrutinising similar ban imposed upon seven other organisations operating in Kashmir valley under the provisions of UAPA.