Key facts
- MHA designates 23 Pakistan-based individuals as terrorists under UAPA
- Includes Jaish-e-Mohammed and Lashkar-e-Taiba operatives
- Hafiz Saeed's son-in-law named on the list
- Ram temple recce operative also included
- All 23 linked to Jammu & Kashmir attacks
India's Ministry of Home Affairs has designated 23 Pakistan-based individuals as terrorists under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), in one of the most comprehensive single-batch terror designations in recent years. The individuals named are described as operatives of Jaish-e-Mohammed and Lashkar-e-Taiba, with the MHA citing their links to attacks in Jammu & Kashmir.
Among those named are the operative who allegedly conducted reconnaissance of the Ram temple in Ayodhya, and a son-in-law of Hafiz Saeed — the Lashkar-e-Taiba founder long designated a global terrorist by the United States and United Nations. The inclusion of Hafiz Saeed's family member signals the designations are not limited to field operatives but extend to those embedded in Pakistan's terror ecosystem at a higher level.
The timing is significant. Relations between India and Pakistan remain severely strained following the Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor, and these designations further formalise India's legal architecture for identifying and sanctioning Pakistan-based actors it holds responsible for violence on Indian soil.
Under UAPA, a designation as a terrorist allows Indian authorities to freeze assets, impose travel restrictions, and strengthen extradition requests. While many of the individuals named are beyond Indian jurisdiction, the move builds an official record and increases international pressure on Islamabad to act against groups operating from its territory.