Union Home Minister Amit Shah announced on a Wednesday that the Shahzad Bhatti Network (SBN), a Pakistan‑based outfit, has been added to India's First Schedule of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). Shah said the decision follows Prime Minister Narendra Modi's zero‑tolerance policy against terrorism, citing the group’s role in smuggling arms, explosives and narcotics across the border and in radicalising local youths.
The UAPA notification invokes Section 35(1)(a), formally listing SBN as a terrorist organisation. By making it the 46th entry, the law now grants the state the power to detain, prosecute and confiscate assets of its members under a single procedural framework.
The gazette cites active criminal cases against alleged SBN members under multiple statutes, including the UAPA, Arms Act, Explosives Act, Information Technology Act and Prevention of Defacement of Property Act. These cases document the network’s engagement in cross‑border arms trafficking and the dissemination of incendiary content aimed at destabilising communal harmony.
The Home Ministry’s notification also highlights the SBN’s use of digital platforms to spread hateful propaganda, describing it as a serious threat to the nation’s internal security. By registering the group as terrorist, the government can now impose digital surveillance and block its online channels.
Authorities will now be able to arrest suspected members, seize their weapons and freeze their bank accounts. A follow‑up probe is expected to identify the network’s financiers and dismantle its supply chains, with a court hearing slated for the next month.