LeT's Sheikh Sajad declared terrorist under UAPA

Lashkar-e-Taiba's Sheikh Sajad, who is involved in the killing of journalist Shujat Bukhari, was on Tuesday declared a terrorist under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

He has become the 37th person to be designated a terrorist under the UAPA since the provision was incorporated in the statutes in 2019. On Monday, a self-styled commander of Jaish-e-Mohammed Ashiq Ahmed Nengroo, who is "engaged in a perilous campaign to orchestrate terror" in Jammu and Kashmir and "remote-controlled" from Pakistan, was named a terrorist.

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) issued a notification designating Sajad as a terrorist, saying he is "one of the commanders and associate members" of the LeT and absconding in a case related to the recovery of arms and ammunition in Jammu and Kashmir.

The 48-year-old Srinagar resident has been "actively radicalising, motivating and recruiting" Kashmiri youth to support proscribed LeT and has been involved in terror funding.

"Sheikh Sajad was found involved in hatching a criminal conspiracy, in connivance with terrorists of the Lashkar-e-Taiba, in eliminating prominent journalist (Bukhari), along with his two personal security officers on June 14, 2018 at the busy Press Enclave area of Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir," the notification said.

The Central Government believes that Sheikh Sajad is "involved in terrorism" and he should be "notified as a terrorist" under UAPA, it added. Since April 8, the MHA has declared six persons as terrorists.

Earlier this month, Lashkar-e-Taiba chief Hafiz Saeed's son Hafiz Talha Saeed, Jaish-e-Mohammed's Mohiuddin Aurangzeb Alamgir, who was involved in the 2019 Pulwama terror strike, Ali Jan and Al Umar-Mujahideen founder Mushtaq Ahmed Zargar were declared terrorists.

In October 2020, the Centre had designated 18 people, including Hizbul Mujahideen chief Syed Salahudeen, Indian Mujahideen founders Bhatkal brothers -- Riyaz and Iqbal -- and Dawood aide Chotta Shakeel as 'terrorists'.

In September 2019, four people, including Lashkar-e-Taiba chief Hafiz Sayeed and underworld don Dawood Ibrahim, and in July 2020, nine Sikhs involved in the Khalistan movement were declared terrorists.

The list also includes two hijackers -- Ibrahim Athar and Yusuf Azhar -- of Indian Airlines plane in 1999 and Ibrahim Memon, who is based in Pakistan and wanted in the 1993 Mumbai blasts case. Athar is also a key conspirator in the 2001 Parliament attack case.

Hafiz Sayeed's brother-in-law Abdur Rehman Makki, who heads the outfit's political affairs department and served as the head of LeT's foreign relations department, Sajid Mir, a Pakistan-based LeT Commander and one of the main planners of 26/11 Mumbai terror attack, and Yusuf Muzammil, accused in 26/11 as well as LeT frontal organisation Falah-i-lnsaniyat Foundation Deputy Chief Shahid Mehmood also figure in the list.

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