Israel has designated Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba, the terrorist group that carried out the 26/11 attacks, as a ‘terrorist’ organization. India does not recognize Hamas as a ‘terrorist’ organization — only a handful of countries around the world do.
- Apart from Israel, the following six countries, along with the European Union (EU), consider Hamas a terrorist organization.
- A government designates a terrorist organization under specific national laws, such as Section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act, 1952 in the US (which allows the Secretary of State to designate Foreign Terrorist Organisations (FTOs), the Terrorism Act, 2000, in the UK, or the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, in India.
- Designation is done based on specific criteria and can attract a range of curbs, including the freezing of assets and the takeover of the properties of the designated organization. India amended the UAPA in August 2019 to include a provision for designating an individual as a terrorist.
- Before that only organizations could be designated. Currently, 44 organizations are designated as terrorist organizations under the First Schedule of the UAPA.
The Central Government also declared following two organization as terrorist organizations under the provisions of the UAPA
- Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF): It is a militant outfit and it aims reviving terrorism in Punjab and challenges the territorial integrity, unity, national security and sovereignty of India and promotes various acts of terrorism, including targeted killings in Punjab.
- Jammu and Kashmir Ghaznavi Force (JKGF): It has been found involved in infiltration bids, narcotics and weapon smuggling and carrying out terror attacks in the Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. It draws its cadres from various terrorist organizations, such as Lashkar-E-Taiba, Jaish-E-Mohammed, Tehreek-ul-Mujahideen, Harkat-ul—Jihad-E-Islami etc. With the declaration of these two organizations as terrorist organizations, there are now a total 44 designated terrorist organizations under the Ist Schedule of the Act.