US designates Hizbul Mujahideen as foreign terrorist organisation

US Department of State on Wednesday designated Hizbul Mujahideen as a foreign terrorist organisation under section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act. It seeks to cut off resources Hizbul gets to carry out terrorist attacks. Owing to the US move, all properties of Hizbul in US jurisdiction are freezed with immediate effect.  Hizbul is lead by Syed Salahuddin, who has been already designated global terrorist by US. 

.@StateDeptCT has designated Hizbul Mujahideen - also known as Hizb-ul-Mujahideen & HM - as a Foreign Terrorist Org. https://t.co/Z9eL3kEGpt

— Department of State (@StateDept) August 16, 2017

 The designation, which slaps a series of US sanctions on the outfit, came against the backdrop of upsurge in the terror activities of the terrorist group in Kashmir in recent months.  The US decision marks a severe blow to Pakistan which has been projecting  Hizbul as a voice of Kashmiri people.

Pakistan's powerful Army chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa and ousted prime minister Nawaz Sharif have repeatedly praised  Burhan Wani who was killed in July last year in an encounter in Kashmir. Formed in 1989, Hizbul Mujahideen is one of the largest and oldest terrorist groups operating in Kashmir.

Hizbul Mujahideen has claimed responsibility for several attacks in Jammu and Kashmir.

 This is the full text of the statement given by US State Department:

The Department of State has designated Hizbul Mujahideen—also known as Hizb-ul-Mujahideen, also known as HM—as a Foreign Terrorist Organization under section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act, and as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) under section 1(b) of Executive Order (E.O.) 13224. These designations seek to deny HM the resources it needs to carry out terrorist attacks. Among other consequences, all of HM’s property and interests in property subject to U.S. jurisdiction are blocked, and U.S. persons are generally prohibited from engaging in any transactions with the group.

Formed in 1989, HM is one of the largest and oldest militant groups operating in Kashmir. Hizbul Mujahideen is led by Specially Designated Global Terrorist Mohammad Yusuf Shah, also known as Syed Salahuddin. Hizbul Mujahideen has claimed responsibility for several attacks, including the April 2014, explosives attack in the state of Jammu and Kashmir, which injured 17 people.

Today’s action notifies the U.S. public and the international community that HM is a terrorist organization. Terrorism designations expose and isolate organizations and individuals, and deny them access to the U.S. financial system. Moreover, designations can assist the law enforcement activities of U.S. agencies and other governments.

With PTI inputs