The Centre on Wednesday formally declared the Shahzad Bhatti Network (SBN), a Pakistan-based militant group, as a terrorist organisation through an official gazette notification issued by the Union Home Ministry. The order invoked Section 35(1)(a) of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), placing the outfit on the First Schedule of banned terrorist organisations.
The notification gives law enforcement agencies across the country the legal authority to take action against anyone associated with or supporting the SBN, including freezing assets, conducting raids, and prosecuting members under the stringent provisions of the anti-terror law.
Shahzad Bhatti, the founder of the network, is a Pakistan-based militant who has been linked to several terror-related activities targeting Indian interests. The SBN has been accused of involvement in recruitment, financing, and operational planning for militant campaigns along the India-Pakistan border, particularly in Jammu and Kashmir.
Security analysts note that designating the group under UAPA closes a critical legal gap, enabling coordinated intelligence and policing operations against its operatives and sympathisers within India. The move also signals India's continued effort to keep pace with emerging terror networks operating from across the border.
This is not the first time the government has used the UAPA to ban Pakistan-based outfits. Over the years, numerous groups including Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, Jaish-e-Mohammed, and Hizbul Mujahideen have been similarly listed. Legal experts say the SBN designation reinforces the framework that allows Indian agencies to track and disrupt the financial and logistical support chains that sustain cross-border terrorism.
