Srinagar, In a move that intensifies its clampdown in occupied Jammu and Kashmir, the Indian government, led by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), has officially banned the Jammu Kashmir National Front (JKNF), an organization steered by the detained APHC leader Nayeem Ahmad Khan.

According to Kashmir Media Service, the ban was announced by Indian Home Minister Amit Shah on the social platform ‘X’, marking the JKNF as an “Unlawful Association.” This action was taken under the stringent provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, imposing a five-year prohibition on the group effective immediately. The Ministry of Home Affairs justified this decision by accusing the JKNF of engaging in activities that purportedly threaten India’s integrity, sovereignty, and security.

The Indian government’s measures against pro-freedom groups in Jammu and Kashmir have been consistent, with organizations such as Jamaat-e-Islami, Muslim League, Tehreek-e-Hurriyat, Democratic Freedom Party, Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front, Dukhtaran-e-Millat, and Muslim Conference also facing similar proscriptions. These actions are perceived by many as attempts to quell the region’s ongoing struggle for autonomy and to silence dissenting voices advocating for the Kashmiri right to self-determination.

The ban on JKNF reflects a broader pattern of suppression within Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir, targeting entities and individuals critical of the Indian state’s policies in the region.