Tribune News Service
New Delhi, August 2
Even as the anti-terror probe agency National Investigation Agency (NIA) has for long demanded “effective changes” in the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act to enable it effectively deal with terrorists, sources in the MHA said the immediate trigger came from a Chinese official’s comment during one of the diplomatic meetings over listing Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar as a UN-designated terrorist.
During the negotiations, a Chinese official reportedly told Indian officials that the person had not been banned by India. “The Chinese told the Indian delegation point blank that when India has not banned Azhar, why China is being pushed,” a Home Ministry official said.
Sources said the NIA had been asking for changes in the UAPA to give it more muscles in handling terror cases on the plea that such cases had inter-state and trans-national implications.
“They cited operational difficulties in investigating cases, so provisions have been made as regards seizures and taking up cases abroad,” said a source.
Besides the Chinese nudge, even the NIA had suggested having a provision for designating individuals as terrorists, as it would help it notify names of suspects and circulate these among state police and its counterparts elsewhere in the world, sources said.
Persons such as Hafiz Saeed and Masood Azhar were likely to be among the first ones to be proscribed by the government, they added. After such a designation, they would not be able to continue their nefarious designs by changing the names of their organisations, they said.
What Beijing said
The Chinese told the Indian delegation point blank that when India has not banned (Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood) Azhar, why China is being pushed. — Home Ministry official
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