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Jaish-e-Mohammed Launches First-Ever Women’s Wing, Led by Masood Azhar’s Sister
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‘Jamaat-ul-Mominaat’ Formed Amid JeM’s Fresh Fundraising and Revival Efforts
Pakistan-based terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) has launched its first-ever women’s wing, called Jamaat-ul-Mominaat, led by Sadia Azhar, sister of the group’s chief Maulana Masood Azhar.
The move comes as part of JeM’s wider attempt to revive and reorganise its networks across Pakistan following a series of setbacks earlier this year.
JeM’s Revival Drive After Operation Sindoor
Just weeks after Operation Sindoor in August 2025 — which targeted several of JeM’s safe houses and logistics cells — reports surfaced of the group’s open fundraising campaign to “rebuild” its Bahawalpur headquarters and set up 313 new markaz (religious centres) across Pakistan.
According to intelligence sources, JeM has set an ambitious target of 3.91 billion Pakistani rupees, allegedly being channelled through untraceable digital wallets and mobile numbers linked to the Azhar family.
Analysts say this clearly shows how Pakistan’s so-called “ban” on JeM remains largely symbolic.
This revival mission, camouflaged as community rebuilding, coincided with the launch of the women’s unit, underlining JeM’s determination to adapt, evolve, and sustain itself through ideological diversification and family-run financial networks.
Women’s Wing Targets Recruits from Militant Families
Sources say Jamaat-ul-Mominaat primarily seeks to mobilise women from within militant families, including wives and relatives of JeM commanders, assigning them roles in logistics, communication, and propaganda.
Although portrayed as a “social and religious” initiative, security agencies see it as a tactical expansion to draw new recruits under a softer guise.
A senior Indian counterterrorism official noted:
“JeM is repositioning itself after recent blows. The inclusion of women is an attempt to widen its influence and rebuild networks under the radar.”
Indian Agencies on Alert
Indian intelligence has expressed concern that JeM’s renewed activities could reshape its operational footprint.
Officials believe that the use of women’s networks, along with digital funding and encrypted platforms, presents a new layer of complexity for security monitoring.
“This is ideological camouflage — women, charity, and digital fundraising — all to sustain the same extremist machinery,” said one security analyst.
Who Is Behind the New Wing?
Jamaat-ul-Mominaat, meaning ‘Group of Devout Women’, is reportedly being projected as a moral and educational front, but its formation directly under the Azhar family indicates tight control and centralised coordination.
Intelligence briefings suggest that the wing is already active in Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and parts of Karachi through online sessions and covert donation drives.
JeM’s History and Global Status
Founded in 2000 by Masood Azhar, JeM is responsible for multiple high-profile terror attacks, including the 2001 Indian Parliament attack and the 2019 Pulwama bombing.
Despite being a UN-designated terrorist organisation, JeM continues to operate under various fronts and pseudonyms within Pakistan, exploiting loopholes in enforcement.
A Dangerous Shift
Analysts say JeM’s current approach — digital funding, community rebuilding, and female mobilisation — marks its most sophisticated adaptation in recent years.
This transformation signals not weakness, but strategic survival, blending social optics with covert extremism.
