India designates 23 Pakistan-baseddesignates 23 Pakistan-based operatives as terrorists under UAPA
India's Home Ministry designated 23 Pakistan-based individuals as terrorists under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act on July 4, 2026 for involvement in infiltration, recruitment, and operational planning targeting India including reconnaissance of the Ram temple and RSS headquarters.
The list includes alleged operatives behind the Ram temple reconnaissance and relatives of convicted terrorist Hafiz Saeed. This action strengthens India's counter-terrorism framework and signals heightened vigilance against cross-border militant infiltration.
Indian Home Ministry
Indian Home Ministry officials state the 23 individuals were designated due to their direct involvement in infiltration, recruitment, logistics, financing, and operational planning targeting India, including reconnaissance of the Ram temple and RSS headquarters.
Pakistan-Based Militant Networks
Pakistan-based militant networks and their supporters frame the designation as a political move to justify increased Indian security measures along the border and to delegitimize their resistance activities in Jammu and Kashmir.
- The Ram temple in Ayodhya was officially opened in December 2024 after a 32-year construction project following the 1992 demolition of the Babri Masjid.
- India and Pakistan have fought four wars since 1947, with the most recent major conflict occurring in 2002 along the Line of Control in Kashmir.
- Hafiz Saeed was born in Muridke, Punjab, Pakistan in 1950 and studied at the University of Punjab before founding Lashkar-e-Taiba in 1990.
