The government on Wednesday declared four Pakistan-based individuals, including Mumbai terror attack mastermind and Lashkar-e-Toiba chief Hafiz Saeed, as terrorists under the amended unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 2019. Other individuals who have been designated as terrorist are Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) chief Masood Azhar, Lashkar-e-Toiba chief Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi and underworld don Dawood Ibrahim. Hafiz Saeed and Masood Azhar have already been declared global terrorists by the United States, United Nations and European Union. The Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Amendment Act allows the Centre and States to designate individuals as terrorists and seize their property. The law was passed by the Parliament last month. Under the earlier law, only organisations could be designated as terrorist outfits and not individuals. Saeed’s Lashkar-e-Toiba carried out several terrorist attacks including the 2000 Red Fort attack, Rampur attack, the 2008 Mumbai attacks in which 166 people were killed. JeM terrorists attacked the Parliament building and Jammu and Kashmir State Legislative Assembly complex in 2001, killing nine and eight people respectively. Pathankot terror attack in 2016, Pulmawa attack in February this year was also carried by Jem terrorist.
