Saudi doctor declared terrorist under UAPA

NEW DELHI: Asif Maqbool Dar, 41, a Kashmir-born anaesthesiologist currently based in Saudi Arabia, who had ordered a reconnaissance of the National Investigation Agency and Delhi Police headquarters in 2021 with the intention of attacking them, was declared a “terrorist” by the home ministry under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act on Saturday, a notification from the ministry of home affairs said on Saturday.

The conspiracy to conduct a recce of the NIA headquarters was unearthed by Srinagar police in January last year, when it arrested two terrorists and two overground workers.

“.... the Central government believes that Dr Asif Maqbool Dar is involved in terrorism and is to be added as a terrorist under the UAPA Act”, stated the Union ministry of home affairs notification.

Srinagar police and central agencies have been trying to get him deported from Saudi Arabia.

“Dar, presently based at Saudi Arabia, is associated with HizbulMujahideen and is involved in instigating the youth of Kashmir for terrorist activities by using social media platforms. He is influencing Kashmiri youth to take up arms against Indian government,” the home ministry said in a statement on Saturday.

The home ministry said : “Dar is an accused in a case investigated by the NIA relating to conspiracy hatched by the cadres of terrorist organisation to undertake violent terrorist act in J&K and major cities in India including New Delhi”. “Declaring Dar as an individual terrorist will help NIA and local police to freeze his assets and choke his funds,” a counterterrorism officer said.

Asif Maqbool Dar