Jammu Special Judge Prem Sagar declared Mushtaq Ahmad Mir, a Pakistan‑based Hizbul Mujahideen operative, a proclaimed offender on May 28, 2024, after the NIA filed a Section 84 motion. Mir’s name had been on NIA watchlists for over two decades, yet he had never turned himself in. The court noted that non‑bailable warrants and newspaper notices failed to bring him before the bench, prompting the elevation.
Mir hails from Thanamang village in Darhal, Rajouri, and crossed the Line of Control in 1995‑96 to join Hizbul Mujahideen. He has since operated out of Pakistan and Pakistan‑occupied Jammu and Kashmir, maintaining ties with the group’s senior cadres.
The Al‑Huda Education Trust, registered by the NIA on September 3, 2022, functions as a front for the banned Jamaat‑e‑Islami, which was declared unlawful under the UAPA in February 2019. Investigators say the trust funnels donations through hawala channels to finance secessionist propaganda and mobilise youth for terror activities. Mir routed funds to Shamsi, the trust’s day‑to‑day manager, to cover these operations.
With no immediate prospect of arrest, the judge invoked Section 84 to give law‑enforcement agencies broader powers. The declaration tightens the legal framework for tracking and detaining cross‑border terror financiers.
NIA officials said the next phase will involve extradition requests and coordinated raids across borders. Local residents in Rajouri have reported increased security patrols after the verdict. The court’s decision may set a precedent for handling similar cases.
The case underscores the persistent challenge of tracking terror money. As the NIA pushes for arrest, the international community watches Kashmir’s security dynamics closely.