SRINAGAR: In the past five years, the Union Home Ministry has declared Nine separatist groups in JK as unlawful associations under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act 1967.
On February 18, 2019, the Union Home Ministry banned Jamaat-e-Islami, a cadre-based organisation with a pan-Kashmir presence. The MHA stated that the outfit was involved in activities aimed at disrupting India’s integrity.
Nearly a month later, on March 22, 2019, the MHA declared the Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) as an unlawful association for “supporting extremism and militancy” and indulging in “anti-national activity”.
On October 5, 2023, the Union Home Ministry banned jailed separatist leader Shabir Ahmad Shah’s Jammu and Kashmir Democratic Freedom Party (JKDFP) for its “anti-India” and “pro-Pakistan” activities.
Two months later, on December 28, 2023, the Union Home Ministry banned the Masarat Alam-led Muslim League, a separatist organisation, for “anti-national and secessionist” activities in JK.
On December 31, 2023, the MHA banned Tehreek-e-Hurriyat (TeH), which was earlier headed by deceased separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani.
On February 28, 2024, the MHA first banned the Muslim Conference Jammu Kashmir (Sumji faction) and Muslim Conference Jammu and Kashmir (Bhat faction) over terror charges. They were respectively part of Hurriyat(G) and Hurriyat(M) before August 5, 2019.
On March 12, 2023, the government banned the Jammu and Kashmir National Front over charges of “indulging in unlawful activities, which are prejudicial to the integrity, sovereignty, and security of the country.
On March 16, 2024, the Government of India banned four factions of the Jammu and Kashmir Peoples League (JKPL) and the Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Freedom League (JKPFL).
The MHA declared factions of the Jammu and Kashmir Peoples League (JKPL), namely, JKPL (Mukhtar Ahmed Waza), JKPL (Bashir Ahmad Tota), JKPL (Ghulam Mohammad Khan @Sopori) also known as Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Political League and JKPL (Aziz Sheikh) led by Yaqoob Sheikh, as unlawful associations under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act-1967.
On the same day, the Centre banned the Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Freedom League headed by Farooq Rehmani.
