UAPA Tribunal seeks stand of Zakir Naik's IRF in proceedings concerning unlawful association status

New Delhi, Dec 20: A Tribunal under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) on Monday sought the stand of Zakir Naik's Islamic Research Foundation (IRF) in proceedings to consider the Centre's decision to declare it as an unlawful association.

The one-member Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Tribunal, comprising Delhi High Court Chief Justice D N Patel, issued notice in the proceedings after hearing Solicitor General Tushar Mehta who represented the central government.

On November 15, the Centre had declared IRF as an unlawful association for five years, saying that it has been indulging in activities that are prejudicial to the security of the country and have the potential of disturbing peace and communal harmony and disrupting the secular fabric of the country.

Pursuant to section 5(1) of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, the Centre had, on December 13, constituted the tribunal “for the purpose of adjudicating whether or not there is sufficient cause for declaring the Islamic Research Foundation as an unlawful association”.

IRF was declared as an unlawful association in November 2016 and the same was confirmed by a UAPA tribunal in May 2017. The duration of this ban ended on November 16, 2021.