Designation takes total individual terrorists to 80
The central government on Saturday designated 23 Pakistan-based individuals as terrorists under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), with the Union Ministry of Home Affairs issuing a gazette notification to this effect on July 4, 2026. The ministry said the individuals were allegedly involved in terror recruitment, infiltration, training, drone-based arms supply, and planning attacks in Jammu and Kashmir.
Close associates of Hafiz Saeed among those named
Among the 23 individuals, three are alleged close associates of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) founder Hafiz Muhammad Saeed, three were allegedly involved in the 2016 terror attack on an Army camp in Nagrota, and two were allegedly involved in the 2018 attack on the Sunjwan Military Station. The ministry identified Saeed’s close associates as Abdul Rauf, Hafiz Khalid Waleed and Rana Iftikhar. According to the notification, Rana Iftikhar coordinates among anti-Jihadi organisations and motivates youths toward terrorist activities as a close associate of Saeed, while Abdul Rauf, affiliated with LeT and Jamaat-ud-Dawa, is described as involved in planning and coordinating terrorist activities and fund collection, operating under Saeed’s direct command.
What happens when individuals are designated as terrorists
Under the UAPA, 1967, the central government can designate an individual as a terrorist if it believes the person is involved in terrorism. Such a designation allows the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to freeze the individual’s finances, impose an embargo on arms sales to them, and seize their assets. The law was amended in 2019 to allow individuals — not just organisations — to be listed as terrorists. With Saturday’s addition of 23 Pakistan-based individuals, the total number of designated individual terrorists has risen to 80.
JeM and LeT operatives named in the list
The list includes Jaish-e-Mohammed operatives Masood Ilyas Kashmiri, Mohammad Mussadiq alias Doctor, Mufti Muhammad Asghar Khan alias Abu Saad, Hafiz Abdul Shakoor alias Qari Zarrar, Abdullah Jehadi, Ghulam Fareed, Maulana Imdad Ullah Makki and Waseem Noor Jat. It also includes Lashkar-e-Taiba operatives Firdous Ahmad Bhat, Haroon Rashid Ganai, Bilal Ahmad Mir, Abid Quyoom Lone, Nazir Ahmed Gujjar, Abdul Rauf alias Hafiz Abdul Rauf, Ashfaq Ahmad, Hafiz Khalid Waleed, Maulana Saifullah Khalid, Mohammad Yaqoob, Molana Yousaf Taibi, Owais Farooz, Qari Yaqub Sheikh, Rana Iftikhar, and Mohammed Shaheed Faisal, who is also reportedly linked to Al-Qaeda and ISIS.
Move comes amid continued tracking of cross-border terror networks
The designation comes as multiple security and investigation agencies continue tracking cross-border terror networks accused of using drones, encrypted communication platforms and online recruitment channels to sustain militant activity in Jammu and Kashmir. According to the government, all 23 individuals have been linked to activities including terrorist recruitment, training, funding, arms supply, infiltration and the execution of terror attacks.
India’s zero-tolerance stand on terrorism
India has repeatedly reiterated its zero-tolerance approach toward terrorism, emphasising the dismantling of terror ecosystems, decisive operations and assertive global diplomacy. Earlier this year, the central government unveiled the country’s first comprehensive National Counter Terrorism Policy and Strategy, branded “PRAHAAR,” marking a significant shift in its security doctrine.
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