New Delhi: After spending years in hiding, Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) chief Masood Azhar has resurfaced in Pakistan, triggering fresh concern within Indian security agencies. His voice is once again booming through encrypted Jaish channels, calling followers to rise for a “new jihad” and rebuild the group’s lost network.
Sources said his comeback is not accidental. The Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and the Pakistan Army are believed to be backing his return, using him as a tool to re-ignite militancy in Kashmir. Intelligence agencies in New Delhi describe it as a “state-supervised resurrection of terror”.
The man India blames for Pulwama and Pathankot terror attacks also announced the creation of a JeM women’s wing under the leadership of his sister, Saadia Azhar, reportedly aimed at targetting Indian women through religious outreach. The development signals an attempt to rebuild Jaish’s network, which had weakened over the past few years due to Indian counterterrorism operations.
Azhar’s re-emergence follows Operation Sindoor, in which precision missile strikes hit Jaish’s Bahawalpur base, killing several of his family members. His sudden public appearance is seen as an effort to project defiance and prevent the group’s influence from fading.
Reports from The Sunday Guardian suggest that Azhar’s latest messages are not meant solely for his followers but are also directed toward Indian and Western intelligence agencies. A senior counterterrorism official told the publication that “these statements are crafted to be heard by adversaries as much as by supporters”, indicating a deliberate psychological and strategic move.
Analysts believe the timing of Azhar’s public comeback is significant. It coincides with an improvement in US-Pakistan relations, which some experts view as giving Islamabad greater diplomatic cover to re-engage with old proxy networks. Indian and Western intelligence assessments suggest that Pakistan’s military and its spy agency, the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), may be backing Jaish’s resurgence.
For India, the development is a serious concern. The JeM has been behind multiple high-profile terrorist attacks, including those in Pulwama and Pathankot. Although Indian forces have considerably weakened the organisation’s presence in Jammu and Kashmir, Azhar’s renewed propaganda drive could embolden dormant sleeper cells and trigger attempts to infiltrate across the Line of Control.
Security officials in New Delhi are monitoring the situation. The return of Azhar’s public persona is seen as part of a broader attempt by Pakistan-based terror networks to reassert their relevance and send a message of defiance at a time of shifting regional dynamics.
Masood Azhar’s public reappearance marks a potential revival of Jaish-e-Mohammed, with growing signs of ISI support and renewed recruitment efforts targetting India.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: ZEE News
