Pakistan Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir is reportedly backing the Lashkar-e-Taiba's political front, the Milli Muslim League (MML), to wage a covert campaign against the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (F) and its chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman — a strategy that officials warn could trigger a dangerous realignment of militant factions against the Pakistani security establishment.

According to officials, the move comes after Rehman publicly accused Munir of incompetence in handling national security and governance, posing a political challenge the army has been unwilling to confront openly in the wake of sustained criticism over its crackdown on Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan.

The Covert Strategy

An Intelligence Bureau official, speaking on background, said the army has deliberately chosen not to deploy legal mechanisms or direct force against the JUI-F, wary of further public backlash. Instead, according to these claims, Munir's establishment is allegedly encouraging the MML — widely regarded as a political proxy of the Lashkar-e-Taiba — to confront Rehman's party through what officials describe as targeted intimidation, including alleged killings of JUI-F leaders drawn from Lashkar's operational network.

The aim, officials say, is to present the conflict to the outside world as an ordinary political rivalry, while using the threat of violence to pressure Rehman into moderating his rhetoric against the army. 'This plan by the army also exposes the fault lines that have grown amidst the terror groups post Operation Sindoor,' one official said.

The Jaish-e-Mohammed Factor

The plan carries significant blowback risk, particularly from the Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM). The outfit has long maintained a close political relationship with the JUI-F, which has historically served as its electoral interlocutor given that JeM itself is banned from contesting elections. Both organisations adhere to the Sunni Deobandi school of Islam and share deep institutional ties.

Officials say that using the Lashkar-e-Taiba — a rival militant network — against the JUI-F would be interpreted by the Jaish-e-Mohammed as a direct provocation. The fallout, analysts caution, would not be confined to inter-group rivalry.

Afghan Taliban and TTP Dimensions

Both the Jaish-e-Mohammed and the JUI-F share historic ties with the Afghan Taliban, with whom they have aligned on demands for an end to foreign intervention in Afghanistan. Pakistan's relations with the Afghan Taliban have already deteriorated sharply in recent years — Islamabad reportedly declared a military posture against the Taliban, further straining ties.

Analysts warn that the Munir strategy risks angering not only the Jaish-e-Mohammed but also the Afghan Taliban and the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). The TTP has already inflicted severe damage on Pakistan's security forces and reportedly holds the upper hand in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP). 'This newly drawn plan of Munir's will only worsen things for the security mechanism in KP as the TTP is bound to get more aggressive,' experts say.

A Gamble That May Already Be Backfiring

Officials characterise Munir's move as a significant and high-risk gamble. Since Operation Sindoor — in which Pakistan reportedly suffered a major strategic setback — Munir has, according to officials, been unable to persuade the Jaish-e-Mohammed to resume an active operational role, with the outfit's trust in the army having eroded sharply in the aftermath.

Pakistan observers note that any tactical success from the MML-backed pressure campaign on the JUI-F is likely to be short-lived. The deeper consequence, they argue, could be a broader consolidation of militant factions — bound by shared grievances against the army — that would pose a far graver long-term threat to Pakistan's already strained internal security architecture.