Ram temple scout, Hafiz Saeed's son-in-law among 23 named terrorists by government

The home ministry has designated 23 Pakistan and PoJK-based operatives as terrorists under the UAPA. The list spans JeM and LeT figures accused of infiltration, recruitment, financing and attacks targeting India.

In Short

• Six Indian nationals are among those now operating from Pakistan and PoJK
• The designations target infiltrators, recruiters, financiers and launch commanders linked to JeM
• Officials linked some designees to Nagrota, Pathankot, Pampore and Sunjwan attacks

A JeM operative who was involved in the reconnaissance of Ram temple and RSS headquarters, and LeT founder Hafiz Saeed's son-in-law were among 23 individuals based in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK) who were designated terrorists by the home ministry on Saturday.

Six of them are Indian nationals, now based in Pakistan or PoJK.

The move is aimed at hitting at the entrenched ecosystem of operatives spanning senior leaders, associates of Lashkar-e-Taiba founder Hafiz Hafiz Muhammad Saeed and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) founder Maulana Masood Azhar, as well as launching commanders, recruiters and financial coordinators associated primarily with JeM and LeT.

All 23 of them were designated as terrorist under fourth schedule of the the anti-terror law Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) for involvement in infiltration, recruitment, logistics, financing and operational planning to target India.

Among them is Mohammad Musaddiq, a Pakistani JeM operative known by aliases including Doctor and Abdul Mannan, who was instrumental in reconnaissance of Ram Janmabhoomi complex in Ayodhya, the RSS headquarters in Nagpur and the IOCL refinery in Panipat.

He is also serving as the launching commander for the Lasiyakot sector and facilitates infiltration through tunnels, sending arms and ammunition into India using drones.

Masood Ilyas Kashmiri, a Pakistani national known by several aliases including Mufti Masood Ilyas and Abu Mohammad, is a close associate of Masood Azhar and the organisation's key coordinator for infiltration into Kashmir.

The home ministry said he is accused of recruiting youths through social media, raising funds for terrorism and orchestrating the April 2022 attack on a police checkpoint near the PDP office in Sunjwan, Jammu.

Mufti Mohammad Asghar Khan, also known as Abu Saad or Saad Jimiki, has been identified as JeM's Amir and head of its military wing in PoJK.

The ministry said he was a key conspirator in the attack on the Indian Army camp in Nagrota and that he runs training camps in Muzaffarabad providing jihadist and military instruction.

Hafiz Abdul Shakoor, alias Qari Jarrar, affiliated with JeM and Harkat-ul-Mujahideen, is accused of facilitating the infiltration of three Pakistani terrorists through the Samba-Kathua sector for the Nagrota Army camp attack.

The ministry said he fought in the Afghan war during 1995-96, coordinates terrorist activities with ISI assistance and serves on JeM's governing Shura.

Abdullah Jihadi, also known as Shahnawaz and Al-Hijama, is described as a JeM operative who allegedly co-conspired with Mufti Asghar Khan, facilitated infiltration into North Kashmir, attempted to incite hatred against the Government of India and managed launching camps in Kupwara and Baramulla.

Among Indian nationals now based across the border is Firdous Ahmad Bhat, associated with LeT.

The ministry said he crossed into Pakistan through the Wagah border in 2018, serves as a launching commander, facilitates infiltration across the LoC, supplies weapons to overground workers and recruits youths in south Kashmir.

Ghulam Farid, alias Gulshan Kumar, a Pakistani national affiliated with JeM, previously served in the Pakistan Army from 2001 to 2005. He illegally entered India through Bangladesh in 2008, was arrested in Jammu later that year and deported to Pakistan in July 2019, the ministry said.

Haroon Rashid Ganai, an Indian national residing in Pakistan and affiliated with LeT, allegedly travelled to Pakistan in 2018, joined the organisation there, encourages recruitment from the Kashmir valley and supplies arms and ammunition to overground workers.

Indian national Bilal Ahmad Mir is based Muzaffarabad, PoJK and is associated with LeT and The Resistance Front (TRF). He is plots to incite and provoke local Kashmiri youth to jihad from across the LoC.

He is also directly involved in managing the illicit supply chain of arms, ammunition and logistics into the Kashmir valley.

Abid Qayoom Lone, an Indian national residing in PoJK, is accused of planning attacks on security forces in Jammu and Kashmir, raising funds for LeT and smuggling narcotics from Pakistan into India through networks operating along the LoC to finance terrorist activities, the ministry said.

Another Indian Nazir Ahmed Gujjar recruited youths in Doda and Kishtwar and facilitated drone-based consignments of arms and ammunition across the Samba and R S Pura sectors. He resides in Islamabad after crossing the LoC in 2006.

Among senior LeT figures designated is Abdul Rauf, also known as Hafiz Abdul Rauf, who has served as a senior Lashkar leader since 1999, the ministry said. Authorities allege he mobilises funds and public support internationally through organisations including the Falah-e-Insaniyat Foundation and Al-Madina Welfare Trust.

The US has designated him as a "Specially Designated Global Terrorist".

Ashfaq Ahmed, a JeM functionary, is accused of overseeing Shuaba Hadith and the Al-Rehmat Trust in Bahawalpur. He received training in PoJK and was identified as a subscriber of Pakistani mobile numbers used during the January 2016 Pathankot Air Force station attack.

Hafiz Khalid Waleed, associated with LeT and Jamaat-ud-Dawa, is identified as the son-in-law of Hafiz Mohammad Saeed and a member of LeT's Central Advisory Committee since 2003.

The ministry identifies him as the mastermind behind the June 2016 Pampore attack. The US designated him a global terrorist in August 2012.

Maulana Imdad Ullah Makki, a close associate of Maulana Masood Azhar and Mufti Abdul Rauf Asghar, heads JeM's prisoners' wing and legal affairs. Authorities say he coordinated in real time with the terrorists involved in the January 2016 Pathankot airbase attack.

Maulana Saifullah Khalid, affiliated with LeT and the Pakistan Markazi Muslim League, serves as the party's general secretary and previously headed the Milli Muslim League. He has led multiple LeT and Jamaat-ud-Dawa wings, including propaganda and control and reform. The US has named him a "Specially Designated Global Terrorist" in April 2018.

Mohammad Yaqoob, an LeT operational commander based in Islamabad, allegedly coordinates financial and logistical support for cadres operating in the Kashmir valley. A UAPA case has been registered against him at the CI Kashmir Police Station in Srinagar.

Maulana Yusuf Taibi, associated with LeT and Jamaat-ud-Dawa, is identified as a senior leader linked to the control and reform wing. He previously headed the Karachi-based Jamia Al-Dirasat Al-Islamia Trust and is currently associated with the Al-Qadsia Islamic Center in Lahore while delivering Friday sermons at the Sargodha Markaz.

Owais Farooz, an Indian national allegedly entered Pakistan through the Wagah border in 2018 and joined the LeT. The NIA court in Pulwama has issued a proclamation order against him under Section 82 of the Code of Criminal Procedure.

Qari Yaqub Sheikh, associated with the Pakistan Markazi Muslim League and Jamaat-ud-Dawa, is identified as a central JuD leader who contested Pakistan's 2018 general election as a Milli Muslim League candidate.

Authorities accuse him of raising funds for Lashkar and JuD in Saudi Arabia. He was designated a global terrorist by the US in August 2012.

Rana Iftikhar, an associate of Hafiz Saeed, allegedly manages finances for LeT's Kashmir operations and heads the organisation's prisoners' welfare wing. He was arrested in Jammu and Kashmir in 1993, remained imprisoned in India until 2004 and was subsequently released.

Wasim Noor Jat, also known as Qari Wasim, is identified as a JeM launching commander responsible for the Kotli area. Authorities accuse him of overseeing drone-based weapons drops into India during 2021-22. He was deported to Pakistan after serving a prison term in Jammu.

Mohammad Shahid Faisal, originally an Indian national and now active in Rawalpindi, is affiliated with LeT, Al-Qaeda and ISIS, according to the ministry.

The MHA said he was the handler behind the 2012 Bengaluru LeT conspiracy case and the 2013 Nanded LeT case. The ministry said he is an online handler in the 2024 Rameshwaram Cafe blast case, the Mangaluru cooker blast and the Al-Hind ISIS module case, while recruiting youths through jihadist content circulated on social media and messaging platforms.

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