Jammu
Pakistan-based terror group Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), led by Maulana Masood Azhar, has launched a large-scale fundraising campaign disguised as a mosque construction initiative to restore its shattered infrastructure, security officials revealed.
Following the destruction of its key facilities in Operation Sindoor earlier this year, JeM is seeking nearly Rs 3.91 billion by projecting the effort as the building of over 300 mosques across Pakistan. The campaign, reportedly supported by Pakistan’s intelligence agency ISI, uses digital wallets like EasyPaisa and SadaPay, registered under Azhar’s relatives, to evade scrutiny by global watchdogs such as FATF.
Through social media channels and propaganda platforms, JeM is circulating posters, videos, and appeals from Azhar’s family members, asking supporters to contribute Rs 21,000 each. Several wallet accounts have been traced to Azhar’s brother Talha Al Saif, his son Abdullah, and other JeM commanders, with over 250 accounts reportedly active.
Officials said the “mosque drive” is aimed at replicating Lashkar-e-Taiba’s decentralised network, enabling JeM to disperse training centres and safe houses while Pakistan maintains plausible deniability about Azhar’s whereabouts. While JeM claims each mosque costs Rs 1.25 crore, estimates suggest actual construction would be far lower, leaving a large surplus for weapons procurement.
The funds, officials warn, could bolster JeM’s arsenal, including advanced weaponry and drones, further deepening security threats. Despite Pakistan’s earlier pledges to curb JeM financing under FATF pressure, the terror group has shifted from banned cash donations to digital wallets, making detection harder while keeping its fundraising alive.
