A section of the Muslim League Jammu Kashmir under the leadership of separatist Masarat Alam Bhat was on December 27 declared a banned organisation by the government under the stringent anti-terror law.
The ban is in response to the outfit’s engagement in anti-national and secessionist activities in Jammu and Kashmir, while carrying the intent to create a wave of reign of terror in the country, the Union Home Ministry said.
The announcement of the ban was made by Union Home Minister Amit Shah under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. He emphasised on the Modi government’s message that those who act against the unity, sovereignty and integrity of the nation will face the complete wrath of the law and will not be spared.
“The Muslim League Jammu Kashmir (Masarat Alam faction) has now been declared as an ‘Unlawful Association’ under UAPA. The organisation and its members are engaged in the anti-national and secessionist activities in J&K. They support terrorist activities and incite people to establish Islamic rule in J&K,” Shah said in a post on ‘X’.
Masarat Alam Bhat is famous for his anti-Bharat and pro-Pakistan agenda. He rose to the position of the chairman of the hardline faction of the Hurriyat Conference post the death of Syed Ali Shah Geelani. Currently, Bhat is incarcerated.
In a notification put out by the Union Home Ministry, it stated that the objectives of the Muslim League Jammu Kashmir (Masarat Alam faction) are to achieve complete freedom for Jammu and Kashmir from Bharat and merge it with Pakistan to establish Islamic rule. The members of this organisation have been involved in secessionist activities while simultaneously raising funds from various sources including Pakistan and its proxy organisations, to extend support for terrorist activities and sustain stone-pelting on security forces in Jammu and Kashmir.
The home ministry further laid emphasis on the Muslim League Jammu Kashmir (Masarat Alam faction) and its members showed disrespect towards the constitutional authority and setup of the country. Their unlawful activities continue to undermine the integrity, sovereignty, security, and communal harmony of Bharat.
Additionally, the Muslim League Jammu Kashmir (Masarat Alam faction) has linkages with banned terrorist organisations as there have been few indications of it in the past. The outfit and its members have shown support for terrorist activities with the intent to create terror in the country, putting its security and public order in danger. Their anti-national activities further add disrespect and disregard for the constitutional authority and sovereignty of Bharat, the ministry remarked.
The Central government is of the view that immediate action is the need of the hour against the Muslim League Jammu Kashmir (Masarat Alam faction) to curb its unlawful activities which pose a threat to the country.
The outfit is expected to continue advocating the secession of Jammu and Kashmir from Bharat via promotion of false narratives and inciting anti-national sentiments among the people of the region, which could cause great disruption in public safety. Therefore, exercising the powers conferred by the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 becomes necessary. The Central government has labelled the Muslim League Jammu Kashmir (Masarat Alam faction) as an unlawful association with immediate effect, the ministry said. The ban is to remain in effect for a period of five years from the date of its publication in the official gazette, unless otherwise ordered.
Bhat’s been in jail since 2010 over the charges of alleged involvement in violent protests in the Kashmir valley. His release in 2015 came as the primary impediment in PDP-BJP alliance when the then chief minister Mufti Mohammed Sayeed got him released right after taking the oath.
The then state government, under pressure from its ally BJP, had to rearrest him on two charges -sedition and waging war against the state- after allegedly chanting pro-Pakistan slogans at a rally.
Bhat also faced the accusations of playing a key role in organising violent protests in Kashmir in 2010. The result of which was the deaths of over 100 youths. However, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the guidance of Home Minister Amit Shah, the government has upheld a zero-tolerance policy against terrorism, the ministry said. In 2023 alone, four organisations faced a ban under the anti-terror law UAPA along with six individuals being declared as terrorists, according to a home ministry official.
