New Delhi, Sep 19 (NationPress) Four months post Operation Sindoor, which severely weakened Pakistan’s terror apparatus, reports and images indicate that Pakistan-backed terrorist factions, notably Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and Hizbul Mujahideen (HM), are undertaking a strategic migration into the turbulent Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) province of Pakistan.

This move signifies a crucial tactical shift for these organizations, which now perceive Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) as susceptible to Indian precision strikes. In contrast, KPK, with its geographical advantages, proximity to the Afghan border, and established terror havens from the Afghan conflict, provides a safer refuge.

High-ranking sources informed IANS that this relocation is being executed with the full knowledge and direct support of the Pakistani state apparatus. Evidence includes public gatherings of JeM held under police supervision and the implicit backing from political-religious groups such as Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI).

A notable incident took place in Garhi Habibullah town within the Mansehra district of KPK, where JeM conducted a public recruitment initiative.

Visuals and graphics circulated on social media, alongside footage accessed by IANS, reveal that the event, disguised as a “Deobandi religious gathering,” was essentially a coordinated recruitment effort led by JeM and JUI, featuring Mulana Mufti Masood Ilyas Kashmiri—JeM’s Amir for KPK and Kashmir—who addressed the attendees directly.

Kashmiri, a high-profile target sought by India, has close ties with JeM founder Maulana Masood Azhar and is a key figure in JeM’s operational restructuring post-Operation Sindoor.

“His presence at a public rally, guarded by JeM operatives armed with M4 rifles and local police, including Inspector Liaqat Shah from Garhi Habibullah Police Station, highlights both state complicity and the audacity of JeM’s revival strategy,” a source remarked.

During his over 30-minute speech, he praised Osama bin Laden, referring to him as the Shohada-e-Islam and “Prince of Arab,” thereby connecting JeM’s ideological stance with Al-Qaeda's legacy.

Kashmiri reminded attendees of the 1999 Kandahar hijacking of IC-814, during which Masood Azhar was released from Tihar Jail and returned to Pakistan, emphasizing Balakot in KPK as his headquarters and portraying it as a perpetual haven for mujahideen.

He detailed the aftermath of the May 7 Indian strike on JeM’s Marakaz Subhanallah, which resulted in casualties among Masood Azhar’s family members.

Kashmiri alleged that the Indian bombs had “turned bodies to mince,” provoking Pakistan Army Chief Asim Munir to personally instruct military leaders to attend the funerals of JeM terrorists, with the Pakistan Air Force providing aerial security and soldiers saluting fallen JeM operatives.

He presented these facts to frame the Pakistan Army and government not just as protectors but as active participants in jihad, a narrative that resonates dangerously with radical Deobandi youth.

Analysis reveals that the rally's underlying aim was to recruit for JeM’s training center at Mansehra, known as Marakaz Shohada-e-Islam, which has been expanding since Operation Sindoor, according to sources.

Sources from Mansehra confirm ongoing construction activities and increased logistical support at this site. They link it directly to Kashmiri’s speech and recruitment calls, urging attendees to join JeM and engage in jihad. The timing and venue of the rally, coupled with JUI’s involvement, indicate a calculated effort to normalize recruitment under the guise of religious-political gatherings.

Significantly, sources also confirm JeM’s plan to hold another major event on September 25 in Peshawar’s Marakaz Shaheed Maksudabad to honor Yusuf Azhar (Masood Azhar’s brother, killed during Operation Sindoor).

Pamphlets distributed in KPK confirm that the event will be organized under JeM’s alias Al-Murabitun. Senior JeM leaders are anticipated to attend, and sources predict that this gathering will serve as both a memorial and a mass recruitment drive.

Meanwhile, Hizbul Mujahideen (HM), led by former Pakistani commando Khalid Khan, is establishing a new training facility named “HM 313” in the Bandaai area of Lower Dir, KPK. Notably, this land was quietly acquired in August 2024, and construction resumed after Operation Sindoor.

This facility is designed to replace destroyed camps in PoK and serve as a platform for indoctrination and cross-border planning into Kashmir.

The strategic implication, according to analysis, is that JeM and HM are intentionally relocating their infrastructure to KPK because the Indian military targeted locations in PoK and Punjab during Operation Sindoor, leaving JeM’s Mansehra and LeT’s Ghari Habibullah camp intact.

Terror factions believe that positioning themselves deeper within KPK minimizes their vulnerability to future Indian attacks while simultaneously bringing them closer to Afghan connections.

Sources indicate that KPK is being repositioned as a rear command zone for JeM, while PoK continues to function as a forward operating base for infiltration.

However, this relocation may also be a strategy to mislead intelligence agencies.

The fact that Pakistan currently chairs the UN Security Council and the SCO while JeM rallies take place under official protection exposes a significant contradiction in its international stance.