Srinagar, August 9, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Jammu and Kashmir Police on Sunday conducted simultaneous searches at 26 locations in Sopore as part of an investigation into a case registered under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) against the banned Jamaat-e-Islami Jammu and Kashmir (JeI).
Officials said the searches were aimed at gathering evidence and tracing the network and links associated with the banned organisation.
Jamaat-e-Islami J&K was established in the 1950s as a distinct branch influenced by the Islamist teachings of Syed Abul A’la Maududi. The organisation combined religious activities with political and social work and operated a network of educational institutions and welfare programmes.
The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) declared JeI J&K an unlawful association under the UAPA, citing alleged separatist and terrorist links as well as threats to national sovereignty and security. The ban, initially imposed following the 2019 Pulwama terror attack, was extended for another five years in February 2024.
The organisation has historically maintained that Kashmir is a disputed territory and had boycotted mainstream elections in Jammu and Kashmir for decades. However, some former members and activists later moved towards electoral politics and participated as independent candidates in the 2024 J&K Assembly elections.
Some former activists also formed or joined groups advocating participation within the constitutional framework, including the Justice and Development Front (JDF-J&K).
Among JeI J&K’s prominent leaders was Maulana Saaduddin Tarabali, who founded the organisation in 1953 and remained its chief until 1985. He participated in the electoral process in J&K before separatist violence intensified in the 1990s.
Syed Ali Shah Geelani was another prominent and controversial figure associated with the organisation. Before the rise of separatist violence, Geelani contested the J&K Assembly elections eight times, winning three and losing five. He later broke away from the mainstream Jamaat and founded Tehreek-e-Hurriyat, adopting a hardline pro-Pakistan position. Geelani died in 2021.
Further details regarding Sunday’s searches and the evidence recovered, if any, are awaited.
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