Pakistani officials have openly come ahead to support the banned Islamist outfit Popular Front of India (PFI). Rattled by the ban imposed on PFI and its allied organizations, Pakistan tried to gather international support for the Islamist organization. Pakistan’s Consulate General Vancouver tagged the Twitter handles of various organizations affiliated with the United Nations and European Union in its response to the tweet by the official handle of the PFI.
#Breaking | Pakistan rattled by PFI ban | Pak tries to gather international support for PFI@gauravcsawant
— IndiaToday (@IndiaToday) September 28, 2022
with the details #5iveLive @ShivAroor pic.twitter.com/bhjnXrSyjQ
PFI tweeted, “Massive arrests are going on in the BJP-ruled states in the name of Preventive Custody. This is nothing but Prevention of d Right to democratic protests against d Central government’s witch-hunt targeting PFI is Quite natural & expected under this autocratic system.”
Massive arrests are going on in d BJP ruled states in d name of Preventive Custody. This is nothing but Prevention of d Right to democratic protests against d Central govt’s witch-hunt targeting PFI is Quite natural & expected under this autocratic system.#StandWithPopularFront
— Popular Front of India (@PFIOfficial) September 27, 2022
Replying to this tweet, Pakistan Consulate General Vancouver tagged the former executive director of the Human Rights Watch Kenneth Roth, United Nations Human Rights Commission, United Nations Geneva, United Nations Human Rights Asia, United Nations Human Rights Council Secretariat, United Nations, European Commission, European Union at the United Nations, European Union Council, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and the spokesperson of Pakistan’s ministry of foreign affairs. The sole purpose of this was to gather international support to back the Islamist organization banned in India.
It is notable that the same prominent international Twitter handles were tagged by the same Pakistan embassy’s Twitter handle while replying to a tweet blaming the Indian government for a so-called economic crisis in Jammu and Kashmir.
@KenRoth @UNHumanRights @UNGeneva @OHCHRAsia @UN_HRC @UN @EU_Commission @EU_UNGeneva @EUCouncil @amnesty @hrw #India #Kashmir #Apartheid #Occupation @ForeignOfficePk
— Pakistan Consulate General Vancouver (@PakinVancouver) September 28, 2022
It is notable that, on September 27, the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India banned the Islamist organization Popular Front of India (PFI) and its associated or affiliated fronts with immediate effect for a period of five years by exercising its powers under sub-section (1) of section 3 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 (UAPA).
It is noteworthy that PFI and its sister organizations have a presence in over 17 states in the country. Police and NIA had registered over 1,300 criminal cases against the cadres of PFI and its front organizations in different states. Some of these cases were also registered under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act/UAPA, the Explosive Substances Act, the Arms Act, and other heinous sections of IPC.
In a gazetted notification, the GoI named its associates as Rehab India Foundation (RIF), Campus Front of India (CFI), All India Imams Council (AIIC), National Confederation of Human Rights Organization (NCHRO), National Women’s Front, Junior Front, Empower India Foundation and Rehab Foundation, Kerala.
