A senior Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) operative has directly implicated Masood Azhar, the group’s leader, in orchestrating major attacks in Delhi and Mumbai, further undermining Pakistan’s long-standing claims that it does not harbor terrorist networks.
Masood Ilyas Kashmiri, a high-ranking commander of the UN-designated terror outfit, admitted in a video statement that Azhar, one of India’s most wanted fugitives, masterminded attacks from Pakistan after his release from Indian custody. According to Kashmiri, Azhar established his operations from Balakot—a location later targeted by India in 2019 airstrikes.
“After escaping from Tihar Jail in Delhi, Amir-ul-Mujahideen Maulana Masood Azhar came to Pakistan. The soil of Balakot provided him a base to carry forward his vision, mission, and programmes in Delhi and Bombay [Mumbai]. This is how Maulana Masood Azhar, the Amir-ul-Mujahideen who terrorised the country, appears,” Kashmiri said.
The revelation leaves Islamabad with little room to refute claims that it shelters terrorist networks.
According to the visuals assessed , last Sunday about seven hours before the India-Pakistan cricket match began JeM staged a recruitment gathering in Garhi Habibullah town of Mansehra. The event was held jointly with the religious-political organization Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam.… pic.twitter.com/YqMfSMnKwK
— Shivank Mishra 🇮🇳 (@shivank_8mishra) September 17, 2025
From Balakot to Bahawalpur: A Terror Network Unveiled
Kashmiri openly identified Balakot as the staging ground for Azhar’s terror operations in India, even invoking Osama bin Laden as a guiding “martyr” whose ideology shaped JeM’s strategies. His admissions echo India’s long-standing position: Jaish terror camps operate with the implicit backing of Pakistan’s military-intelligence apparatus, despite Islamabad’s repeated denials of any terrorist hideouts within its borders.
In a further bombshell, Kashmiri disclosed details of the May 7 Indian strike on JeM’s Bahawalpur headquarters, Jamia Masjid Subhan Allah. He claimed the airstrike inflicted severe casualties, including the deaths of Azhar’s family members, whom he said were “torn apart” in the attack.
“Terrorist Masood Azhar’s family was ‘torn into pieces’ during India’s strike in Bahawalpur as part of its Operation Sindoor” ~ Masood Ilyas Kashmiri, commander of the Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terrorist organization.
A clear answer to those who doubted India’s strike in Pakistan. pic.twitter.com/B78gtNqHVl
— Anshul Saxena (@AskAnshul) September 16, 2025
The Bahawalpur strike was part of Operation Sindoor, conducted by Indian forces to dismantle multiple terror launchpads across the border and in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. It came in retaliation for the April 22 Pahalgam attack, which claimed 26 civilian lives.
Pakistan Army’s Involvement in Terror Activities
Kashmiri further revealed that Pakistan’s military brass had instructed generals to attend the funerals of Jaish terrorists killed in Bahawalpur. Videos circulating on social media in May showed high-ranking Pakistani officers leading the funerals, prompting India to condemn Islamabad for providing state-style ceremonies to proscribed terrorists.
According to Kashmiri, the directive came from Pakistan Army Chief Gen Asim Munir to “honour” those killed in Indian airstrikes. His testimony adds weight to New Delhi’s longstanding claim that Pakistan’s military-intelligence establishment actively supports and protects terrorist groups.
🚨🚨🚨 Exclusive:
DG ISPR asked for linkage between Bhawalpur and Jaish-e-Muhammad
His partner in terror Jaish commander Ilyas Kashmiri confirms: “GHQ (Pakistan Army chief) ordered his Generals to attend funerals of terrorists eliminated in Bahawalpur Jaish camp during… pic.twitter.com/MzA4KmYKxu
— OsintTV 📺 (@OsintTV) September 16, 2025
Breaking the Veil of Deception
The disclosures by Masood Ilyas Kashmiri shed fresh light on Pakistan’s decades-long duplicity: publicly aligning with the West on counterterrorism while covertly nurturing jihadist networks at home. As India continues to point to these terror sanctuaries, Kashmiri’s revelations make it increasingly difficult for Islamabad to deny the presence of operational terror bases within its territory.
