New Delhi, Aug 20 (NationPress) Three months following Operation Sindoor, which dismantled the Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) headquarters Markaz Subhanallah alongside four additional training sites—Markaz Bilal, Markaz Abbas, Mahmona Joya, and the Sargal training camp—Pakistan is scrambling to reconstruct these terror facilities and is soliciting funds from the general populace.

According to credible sources, IANS reports that JeM has initiated an online fundraising campaign utilizing EasyPaisa to amass funds.

“JeM has commenced a fundraising initiative through EasyPaisa to gather Rs 3.91 billion for establishing 313 new markaz throughout Pakistan,” revealed the source.

It is important to note that Pakistan was taken off the FATF's grey list in 2019 after implementing the National Action Plan. The government claimed it had restricted JeM by placing its markaz under state control and monitoring the bank accounts of JeM leaders, including Masood Azhar and his siblings.

The authorities also prohibited cash donations, animal hides, and various other fundraising methods, leading to Pakistan’s removal from the FATF grey list in 2022.

In response, the ISI and JeM devised a new strategy for raising funds. JeM began utilizing Pakistani digital wallets like EasyPaisa and SadaPay for collecting donations.

As per an IANS report, funds are now channeled directly into digital wallets belonging to Masood Azhar's relatives instead of traditional bank accounts.

This approach allows Pakistan to mislead the FATF by only displaying JeM's bank account details for funding. Social media platforms such as Facebook and WhatsApp feature JeM-related accounts posting promotional content, including a letter from Azhar, claiming the establishment of 313 markaz, each requiring PKR 12.5 million (PKR 1 crore 25 lakh).

Donors, both domestically and internationally, are requested to contribute to the total of PKR 3.91 billion (PKR 391 crore).

“During our investigation, we uncovered a blank donation receipt for JeM’s extensive fundraising campaign. Evidence indicates that the PKR 3.94 billion being raised is funneled into several Pakistani digital wallets,” sources confirmed.

One such SadaPay account is registered under Talha Al Saif (Talha Gulzar), linked to the Pakistani mobile number +92 3025xxxx56. This number is associated with JeM commander Aftab Ahmad in Haripur district, whose official ID lists the address of JeM's camp in Khala Batt Township, Haripur.

Another fundraising channel utilizes an EasyPaisa wallet connected to +92 33xxxx4937, operated by Abdullah Azhar (Abdullah Khan), Masood Azhar's son. In the troubled region of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Syed Safdar Shah, a JeM commander, is gathering donations via an EasyPaisa wallet linked to +92 344147xxxx and CNIC 4250142079691, registered near Melwarah Post Office, Oghi, Mansehra district.

In addition to these three wallets, over 250 EasyPaisa wallets are reportedly being deployed to support JeM’s PKR 3.91 billion fundraising initiative. Alongside social media solicitations, JeM circulated an audio message from Talha Al Saif via its official propaganda channel, MSTD Official.

In this recording, Talha calls on supporters to contribute PKR 21,000 each. The speech was given at a gathering at Markaz Usman-o-Ali on Friday, 15 August. In the audio, he also stated the need for 20 new markaz this year, as part of JeM’s overarching goal of 313 centers, according to their promotional materials.

The Markaz Subhanallah, targeted by India on 7 May, served not only as JeM's headquarters but also as a training facility for weaponry and a living area. During the strike, 14 individuals were killed, including Masood Azhar's family members and high-ranking terrorists.

Only 6 km away from Markaz Subhanallah is Markaz Usman-o-Ali, where Masood Azhar's family has been residing since the attack.

On 13 May, a Senator from Bahawalpur visited the injured family of Masood Azhar. Subsequently, on 21 May, operatives from Lashkar-e-Taiba visited the same markaz to meet with Azhar's family.

JeM’s senior commander Masood Ilyas Kashmiri, wanted by India, is currently based at Markaz Tamim Dari in Dar Samand, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

JeM is currently managing over 2,000 Pakistani digital wallets on EasyPaisa and SadaPay, not only to solicit markaz donations but also to gather funds under the guise of aiding Gaza.

One wallet connected to the Gaza effort is registered to Khalid Ahmad but is operated by Masood Azhar’s son Hammad Azhar.

“Both EasyPaisa and SadaPay operate outside traditional banking systems, facilitating wallet-to-wallet and wallet-to-cash transfers via agents, which nearly eliminates FATF’s ability to monitor them. The FATF can only trace transactions through SWIFT or banking networks,” the report indicates.

JeM reportedly raises over PKR 100 crore yearly through digital wallets, bank transfers, and cash, with around 50 percent allocated for arms purchases. While JeM claims each markaz costs PKR 12.5 million, estimates suggest that a facility the size of Markaz Bilal costs only PKR 4–5 million.

“Considering the ties between JeM, Hamas, and TTP, there are concerns that excess funds could be utilized for procuring advanced arms, potentially including attack drones akin to those used by Hamas or quadcopters employed by TTP,” the report concluded.