New Delhi: The Modi Government on March 16 declared the Yasin Malik’s Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) as an ‘Unlawful Association’ for a further period of five years.

“The banned outfit continues to engage in activities that foment terror and secessionism in Jammu and Kashmir. Anyone found challenging the security, sovereignty and integrity of the nation will face harsh legal consequences,” Union Home Minister Amit Shah said in a post on X.

The MHA also declared four factions of the Jammu and Kashmir Peoples League (JKPL) — namely, JKPL (Mukhtar Ahmed Waza), JKPL (Bashir Ahmad Tota), JKPL (Ghulam Mohammad Khan) and JKPL (Aziz Sheikh) led by Yaqoob Sheikh — as ‘Unlawful Associations’. These organisations were involved in inciting terror and abetting secessionism in Jammu and Kashmir, Mr. Shah said.

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), in 2019, banned JKLF under the anti-terror law, Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 (UAPA). The move came days after the Centre banned Jamat-e-Islami (JeI-J&K) under Section 3(1) of the UAPA.

The JKLF was also banned under the same sections, which gives power to the Centre to declare any association as unlawful by notifying it in the Official Gazette.