India bans Pakistan-based Shahzad Bhatti Network under anti-terror law

The Union Home Ministry has officially banned the Pakistan-based Shahzad Bhatti Network, designating the syndicate as a terrorist organisation after a sweeping security operation across 14 states.

On Wednesday, September 16, 2026, the government issued a gazette notification adding the group, known as SBN, to the First Schedule of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. The network becomes the 46th organisation placed on India's formal terror blacklist.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah announced the decision, stating that the action reflects the government's zero-tolerance policy toward cross-border terrorism. Shah said on social media that the syndicate is actively involved in smuggling weapons, explosives, and narcotics across India's borders, while using digital communication platforms to publish hateful content and incite local youth into violence.

Who is Shahzad Bhatti?

The syndicate is led by 45-year-old Shahzad Bhatti, a Lahore resident whom Indian intelligence officials believe operates from Dubai while frequently changing his location. Officials allege that Bhatti's operations are backed by Pakistan’s intelligence agency, the ISI, and that he maintains close ties to Balochistan-based gangster Farooq Khokhar.

Bhatti has been linked to several high-profile crimes and violent incidents in India. According to Indian intelligence sources, Bhatti allegedly supplied the weapons used in the 2022 assassination of Punjabi singer Sidhu Moosewala. He is also accused of helping Zeeshan Akhtar, a key suspect in the 2024 murder of Maharashtra politician Baba Siddique, escape India to Azerbaijan.

More recently, Punjab police linked his network to a March 2025 grenade attack at the Jalandhar residence of YouTuber Rozer Sandhu. He is also accused of issuing a threatening message to actor Mithun Chakraborty in November 2024.

The multi-state crackdown

The official ban follows a coordinated, nationwide crackdown on August 12, 2026, ahead of India's Independence Day. Security agencies launched raids across 14 states, registering more than 80 FIRs and arresting over 200 people.

During the sweep, officers detained 253 individuals. The detentions were concentrated heavily in northern India, with 62 people picked up in Uttar Pradesh, 52 in Haryana, 51 in Delhi, and 44 in Punjab. Raids also took place in Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Uttarakhand, Bihar, Gujarat, Karnataka, Telangana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, and Kerala.

Security forces recovered a significant cache of military-grade material during the raids, including improvised explosive devices, hand grenades bearing Pakistan Ordnance Factory markings, pistols, and live ammunition.

Investigators also recovered espionage equipment, including CCTV cameras. Security officials said the network had been paying local operatives to conduct surveillance on police stations, military installations, and religious sites. In some cases, these local conduits were instructed to install cameras to feed real-time footage back to handlers across the border.

The formal designation under the anti-terror law now gives Indian security agencies broader powers to track, seize assets, and prosecute anyone suspected of financing, joining, or conspiring with the network.