Centre appoints Justice Sharma to head tribunal to examine PFI ban

The Centre has appointed Justice Dinesh Kumar Sharma, a judge of the Delhi High Court as presiding officer of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Tribunal to adjudicate upon the grounds for banning Islamist outfit, Popular Front of India (PFI) and its associates or affiliates.

The President is pleased to request Justice Sharma, to act as presiding officer of the Unlawful Activites (Prevention) Tribunal in the matter of Popular Front of India (PFI) and its affiliates, a notification by the Law and Justice Ministry stated.

Read — Explained | The Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Tribunal and how it works

The tribunal would examine if there is sufficient cause or not for declaring these organisations, as an unlawful association.

The Union government had on September 28 banned Popular Front of India (PFI) and its associates or affiliates or fronts including Rehab India Foundation (RIF) Campus Front of India (CFI), All India Imams Council (AC), National Confederation of Human Rights Organization (NCHRO) National Women's Front, Junior Front, Empower India Foundation and Rehab Foundation, Kerala for five years.

The Centre claimed that years of investigations showed PFI and its associates were involved in "several criminal and terror cases" and had links with the terror outfits like the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and Jamat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB).