New Delhi: Two Delhi High Court tribunals have upheld the Centre’s ban on the Awami Action Committee (AAC), led by Kashmiri cleric Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, and the Jammu and Kashmir Ittihadul Muslimeen (JKIM), headed by Shia leader Masroor Abbas Ansari.
Both tribunals, presided over by Justice Sachin Datta, held that the evidence presented provided sufficient grounds to declare the two outfits as unlawful associations under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), 1967.
“The Tribunal, after following the procedure under the UAPA and independently assessing the material on record, is of the considered view that there exists sufficient cause to declare the organisation as unlawful under Section 3(1) of the Act,” the identical orders stated.
The Union Home Ministry had banned the AAC and JKIM on March 11, citing their involvement in activities detrimental to the integrity, sovereignty, and security of India. It alleged that members of both groups were engaged in raising funds and supporting secessionist, separatist, and terrorist activities in Jammu and Kashmir.
