Centre bans Yasin Malik-led JKLF under UAPA

Centre bans Yasin Malik-led JKLF under UAPA

1. Government has banned separatist leader Yasin Malik-led Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act,1967. The Front has been banned for allegedly promoting secessionist activities in Jammu and Kashmir.
2. Earlier, Home Ministry had banned the Jamaat-i-Islami as an unlawful association under Section 3 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act,1967.
3. The UAPA is a legislation to provide for the more effective prevention of certain unlawful activities of individuals and associations and for dealing with terrorist activities. The Act defines unlawful activity as any action by an individual or association which is intended to bring about cession/secession or such action as to disrupt or question the sovereignty and territorial integrity of India.
4. The Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 was amended in 2004 to criminalise the raising of funds for a terrorist act, holding of the proceeds of terrorism, membership of a terrorist organisation, support to a terrorist organisation, and the raising of funds for a terrorist organisation.
5. It was amended in 2008 after the Mumbai attacks. It was again amended in 2012 to comply with the guidelines of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF). The definition of “terrorist act” was expanded to include offences that threaten economic security, counterfeiting Indian currency, and procurement of weapons, etc.
6. Financial Action Task Force (FATF) is an inter-governmental organisation set up in 1989 to develop policies to combat money laundering and terrorist financing. India got FATF membership in 2010 on the assurance that it would make suitable amendments in the Act by March 2012.