Gurpatwant Singh Pannun among nine designated as terrorists under UAPA

Mukesh Ranjan

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, July 1

India on Wednesday declared nine individuals, including Gurpatwant Singh Pannun – a US-based member of the banned ‘Sikhs for Justice’ – as terrorists under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).   

Pannun, who organised the Khalistan 2020 referendum, has been seen actively running a campaign against India and motivating Sikh youngsters in his home state of Punjab to join militancy.

The others who have been designated by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) as individual terrorists under the UAPA include Paramjit Singh (Babbar Khalsa International), Hardeep Singh Nijjar (Khalistan Tiger Force), Gurmit Singh Bagga (Khalistan Zindabad Force), Wadhawa Singh Babbar (Babbar Khalsa International), Lakhbir Singh (International Sikh Youth Federation), Ranjeet Singh (Khalistan Zindabad Force), Paramjit Singh (Khalistan Commando Force), Bhupinder Singh Bhinda (Khalistan Zindabad Force).

Following an amendment in the UAPA, the government had first designated four as terrorists under the changed provisions of the Act. They included Maulana Masood Azhar, Hafiz Saeed, Zaki ur Rehman Lakhvi and Dawood Ibrahim. With Wednesday’s listing, the total number of people declared individual terrorists stands at 13.

In an official statement the MHA said, “These individuals are involved in various acts of terrorism from across the border and from foreign soil. They have been relentless in their nefarious efforts of destabilising the country, by trying to revive militancy in Punjab through their anti-national activities and through their support to and involvement in the Khalistan Movement.”