New Delhi, Mar 22 (IBNS): The Union government on Friday banned Yasin Malik-led separatist outfit Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) under the anti-terror law, media reports said.
"The JKLF has been at the forefront of separatists activities. Yasin Malik was the mastermind of the Kasmiri Pandit genocide. JKLF was also responsible for the murder of 4 IAF officers. JKLF has also been known to be a source of funding for terror in Kashmir," home secretary Rajib Gauba said.
The ban has been implemented under various provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, media reports said. Malik, who is under arrest, is lodged in the Kot Balwal jail in Jammu.
Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister and PDF chairperson Mehbooba Mufti has denounced the move.
"Yasin Malik renounced violence as a way of resolving J&K issue a long time ago. He was treated as a stakeholder in a dialogue initiated by then PM Vajpayee ji. What will a ban on his organisation achieve? Detrimental steps like these will only turn Kash into an open air prison," she said.
Yasin Malik renounced violence as a way of resolving J&K issue a long time ago. He was treated as a stakeholder in a dialogue initiated by then PM Vajpayee ji. What will a ban on his organisation achieve? Detrimental steps like these will only turn Kash into an open air prison.
— Mehbooba Mufti (@MehboobaMufti) March 22, 2019
Tanvir Sadiq, advisor to NC vice-president Omar Abduallah, said: "Banning & expecting normalcy is akin to living in a fool’s paradise.These are methods, that didn’t work then and won’t work now. We are a democracy: we need to be civil enough to agree to disagree in a manner that behooves a democratic polity."
Banning & expecting normalcy is akin to living in a fool’s paradise.
— Tanvir Sadiq (@tanvirsadiq) March 22, 2019
These are methods, that didn’t work then and won’t work now.
We are a democracy: we need to be civil enough to agree to disagree in a manner that behooves a democratic polity.
Earlier this month, the Centre had banned Jamaat-e-Islami Jammu and Kashmir, another separatist organisation, for their alleged nexus with terror groups.
Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons
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