India: Islamic outfit PFI and associates banned for five years

Days after launching a major nationwide crackdown on the Popular Front of India (PFI), the Indian government on Wednesday banned the Islamicoutfit for alleged involvement in terrorism. Reportedly, all the associates, affiliates or fronts associated with PFI have been banned under Section 3 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) ACT (UAPA) for a period of five years.

"In exercise of powers conferred by sub-section (1) of section 3 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 (37 of 1967), the Central Government hereby declared the Popular Front of India (PFI) and its associated or affiliates or fronts including Rehab India Foundation, Campus Front of India, All India Imams Council, National Confederation of Human Rights Organization, National Women's Front, Junior Front, Empower India Foundation and Rehab Foundation, Kerala, as an 'unlawful association'," read a government notification.

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It added that several instances of PFI having international linkages with "global terrorist groups" had been reported in the last few years. Moreover, some activists of PFI had joined terror outfits such as ISIS and partaken in terror activities in Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan, it said.

What does the ban mean?

The ban on PFI and its associates is expected to cripple its funding route which, in turn, might hamper therecruitment of members. The bank accounts and properties associated with the organisation might be frozen or seizedin the coming days.

Anyone associated with the organisation can also be booked under the stringent UAPA which the Narendra Modi government has used liberally against such outfits.

As reported by WION, National Investigation Agency (NIA) last Thursday launched what it described as one of the "largest-ever investigation process till date" against the PFI. It was the first of the two instances when NIA launched a nationwide crackdown on the organisation including several raids.

Read more:Mega crackdown on PFI, 106 functionaries arrested on terror funding charges in NIA raids across 15 states

Kerala, where the PFI has some strong pockets, accounted for the maximum number of 22 arrests, officials said, adding that its chairman OMA Salam was among those arrested.

The PFI, formed in 2006, claims to strive for a neo-social movement ostensibly for the empowerment of marginalised sections of India. However, it isoften accused by law enforcement agencies of promoting radical Islam and propagating terrorism.

Some experts believe that PFI is an offshoot ofStudents Islamic Movement of India (SIMI), a terror outfit that was banned by the Indian government, way back in 2001.

(With inputs from agencies)

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