New Delhi: The Yasin Malik-led Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) was banned by the Centre under anti-terror law on Friday.
Home Secretary Rajiv Gauba said the separatists outfit has been banned as the government has policy of zero tolerance against terrorism.
“The government today has declared Yasin Malik-led JKLF as banned. This is in continuation with the crackdown we had started with the ban on Jamaat-e-Islami in Jammu and Kashmir," Gauba told News18.
He said that JKLF has been at the forefront of separatist activities. “Malik was the mastermind of the Kasmiri Pandit genocide. JKLF was also responsible for the murder of 4 IAF Officers and has also been known to be a source of funding for terror in Kashmir," he said.
Officials said that the organisation was banned under various provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. Its chief Yasin Malik is under arrest and at present lodged in Jammu's Kot Balwal jail.
This is the second organisation in Jammu and Kashmir which has been banned this month. Earlier, the Centre had banned the Jamaat-e-Islami Jammu and Kashmir.
The move drew criticism from former J&K chief minister Mehbooba Mufti, said “detrimental steps like these will only turn Kashmir into an open air prison."
“Yasin Malik renounced violence as a way of resolving J&K issue a long time ago. He was treated as a stakeholder in a dialogue initiated by then PM Vajpayee ji. What will a ban on his organisation achieve?" she asked.
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