Home Ministry designates 23 Pakistan-based individuals as terrorists under UAPA

PTI, July 4, 2026, New Delhi: The Union Home Ministry on Saturday designated 23 Pakistan-based individuals, including close associates of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) founder Hafiz Muhammad Saeed, linked to Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) and LeT, as "terrorists" under the anti-terror law UAPA.

The designated terrorists were involved in high-profile attacks on security forces, drone-based weapons smuggling, and indoctrination and recruitment of youth through social media, a government order said.

On Saturday, 23 Pakistan-based terrorists, including those involved in attacks on security forces in Jammu and Kashmir, were added to the list under the Schedule, taking the total number to 80.

In a message posted on 'X', Union Home Minister Amit Shah said the designated terrorists were involved in anti-India activities, carrying out terror attacks, inciting terror, trafficking arms, infiltrating through the border, facilitating terrorist organisations, raising funds, and recruiting terrorists.

"Pursuing Modi Ji's vision of zero tolerance against terror, the MHA today declared 23 dreaded terror functionaries as terrorists under the provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act...

"Out of the 23 terrorists announced today, 17 are Pakistani nationals and six are Indian nationals. However, all of them at present operate terrorist activities from Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir. The Modi govt is determined to rip apart every terror module to shield India and its people," he said.

Including the names of terrorists in the list will allow the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to block their finances, embargo arms sales, and seize their assets.

Associates of LeT founder Saeed, already a designated terrorist, 52-year-old Abdul Rauf, who operates under Saeed's direct command in Lahore, and 54-year-old Rana Iftikhar, a close associate who motivates youth for jihadi activities, have been designated as terrorists under the UAPA.

Hafiz Khalid Waleed, Maulana Saifullah Khalid, and Molana Yousaf Taibi, associated with Saeed's Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) network, have also been included in the list.

Ashfaq Ahmad (52) was designated to provide "technical assistance" and collect funds for JeM operations from his base in Bahawalpur.

The notifications, issued by Joint Secretary Rakesh Rathi on Saturday, designated 52-year-old Mufti Muhammad Asghar Khan, identified as a JeM launching commander based in Abbaspur, considered one of the masterminds behind the attack on the Indian Army Camp in Nagrota, Jammu, on November 29, 2016.