After being highlighted by security services for pro-jihad and anti-Indian sentiments, a recent religious gathering in Pakistan’s Balakot tehsil has garnered significant notice. Thousands of people attended the 38th annual “Mission Mustafa” conference, which was held at Gadi Habibullah and featured speeches by well-known Islamic thinkers.
Although religious themes dominated the gathering, Masood Ilyas Kashmiri, the commander of Jaish-e-Mohammed, gave a video speech that garnered the most attention.
A prominent member of the outlawed terrorist group, Kashmiri, took advantage of the occasion to exalt Masood Azhar, the founder of Jaish. During his speech, he praised Azhar as “a global symbol of resistance” and asserted that the group had fought for decades to defend Pakistan against Afghanistan, India, and other countries.
According to Indian security sources, his admission that he accepted terrorism as a means of fight is another evidence of Pakistan’s support and tolerance of cross-border militancy.
Kashmiri stated that Azhar’s family members had been murdered by Indian forces in Bahawalpur earlier this year, specifically referring to Operation Sindoor. Nine terrorist bases in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir were destroyed as a result of the Indian military action, which was conducted in response to the Pahalgam terror attack. In addition to confirming Azhar’s location in Bahawalpur, this infrequent public statement from a Jaish leader also demonstrated India’s exact targeting of militant infrastructure.
Masood Ilyas Kashmiri is a longtime Jaish operative with ties to Rawlakote, Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, according to Indian agencies. He has previously been charged by the National Investigation Agency for his involvement in the 2018 attack on Sunjwan Military Station. Kashmiri, who is known to train cadres in PoK, has stayed under the radar but has been instrumental in planning terror attacks and cross-border infiltration in India.
Kashmiri’s statements went beyond India; he denounced attempts to designate militants as terrorists and advocated for the spread of jihad against targets around the world, including the prime minister of Israel. According to Indian intelligence, this is not merely hyperbole but rather a confirmation of Jaish’s aspirations to commit acts of international terrorism.
India’s counterterrorism concerns still revolve around Masood Azhar. Azhar, one of the most sought terrorists in the nation, has ties to both the 26/11 Mumbai attacks and the 2001 Parliament attack.
In 2019, he received a UN global terrorist designation. His identity came to light in the 1999 IC-814 hijacking, when he was freed in Kandahar in return for hostages. This event is considered by many to be a watershed in the history of terror in South Asia.
Pakistan has been under constant pressure from India to turn over Azhar and other terrorist leaders like Hafiz Saeed. However, Islamabad has consistently avoided accountability, sometimes even implying that Azhar is no longer a resident of the nation. However, evidence like Kashmiri’s statement disproves these assertions and serves as a sobering reminder of how firmly established terror networks are still within Pakistan.