JeM restructures with 5-member core as ISI hides Masood Azhar's failing health
Synopsis
India's intelligence agencies have pieced together a picture of a Jaish-e-Mohammad in quiet crisis — its founder reportedly unable to walk, its ISI handlers enforcing a media blackout, and a five-member succession structure being quietly assembled. The post-Azhar JeM is already taking shape, and the ISI appears determined to manage the transition before the cadre finds out.
Key Takeaways
Masood Azhar's health has reportedly deteriorated severely; he is said to be unable to walk, according to Intelligence Bureau officials.
The ISI has enforced a media blackout on Azhar's condition, with directives to Pakistani media issued after Operation Sindoor .
JeM is being restructured around a lean five-member top command comprising Sadiya Azhar, Talha-al-Saif, Mufti Asghar, Mohammad Hassan, and Maulana Sari Masood Ahmed.
Abdul Rauf Azhar , Masood's second-in-command, remains the most likely successor, but his current status is unconfirmed amid 2025 speculation about his death.
Sadiya Azhar , Masood's sister, has been installed as head of JeM's women's wing to keep the outfit under family control.
Old audio clips of Azhar are reportedly being circulated to maintain cadre morale and sustain the illusion of his active leadership.
Intelligence agencies are closely monitoring a significant internal restructuring within Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), even as Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) enforces a near-total media blackout on the health and whereabouts of JeM chief Masood Azhar, according to officials tracking the outfit. The directives to suppress reporting on Azhar were reportedly issued to Pakistani media following Operation Sindoor, amid mounting concerns within the ISI about a leadership vacuum in the Pakistan-based terror group.
Azhar's Deteriorating Health
An Intelligence Bureau official told NationPress that recent intelligence inputs suggest Azhar's health has deteriorated considerably and that he is reportedly unable to walk. The official said the ISI has actively managed an information blackout to prevent this from becoming public knowledge. Notably, the former foreign minister of Pakistan, Shah Mehmood Qureshi, had previously confirmed reports of Azhar's illness.
Azhar has been conspicuously absent from public life since the Balakot airstrikes, which struck a key training facility of the outfit. He made only one public appearance after that strike, and has not been seen since. Audio clips attributed to him continue to circulate, but officials say none have been independently verified. Some clips, they add, are old recordings being recycled deliberately to sustain morale among JeM cadres. An audio clip circulated during Ramzan drew attention for the frailty in Azhar's voice, which officials say was consistent with serious illness.
Why the ISI Is Suppressing Information
According to a second official, the media blackout serves two strategic purposes. The first is to maintain the morale of JeM's cadre, many of whom still regard Azhar as a symbol of the outfit's ideology. The second is to allow the ISI to engineer a smooth, controlled leadership transition without triggering internal dissent or a fracture in the ranks.
The official noted that the ISI is acutely aware that even if Azhar's health improves marginally, he would be in no condition to lead the outfit. Old audio clips are expected to keep circulating to sustain the illusion that he remains active and in command.
The Succession Question
The most immediate question is who will lead JeM in Azhar's absence. Officials say Abdul Rauf Azhar, Masood's second-in-command, remains the most likely successor — but only if he is alive. Speculation about his death surfaced in 2025, and his status remains unconfirmed. The ISI is also reportedly reluctant to have Rauf operate openly, given the risk of targeted elimination.
In parallel, the ISI moved quickly to install Sadiya Azhar, Masood Azhar's sister, as the head of JeM's newly formed women's wing — a calculated move to keep the outfit under family control and preserve its ideological continuity. Officials say Talha-al-Saif, described as the architect of the women's wing and the third-most senior figure in JeM, is the ISI's preferred choice to oversee operational command.
The New Five-Member Top Command
According to an official, the restructured JeM leadership is being deliberately kept lean. The top command will comprise just five individuals, with the aim of maintaining tight operational security while focusing on ground-level recruitment. The proposed leadership structure includes Sadiya Azhar, Talha-al-Saif, Mufti Asghar (chief of operations), Mohammad Hassan (official spokesperson), and Maulana Sari Masood Ahmed (chief of radicalisation and propaganda).
The official described the rationale as ensuring that
Point of View
While operationally prudent, also signals that the ISI no longer trusts JeM's mid-tier leadership to self-organise. For Indian security planners, the transition period is the window of maximum opportunity — a fractured JeM is a less effective JeM. But a restructured, ISI-managed JeM with a radicalisation wing under Maulana Sari Masood Ahmed could prove more dangerous in the medium term.
NationPress
1 May 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the current status of Masood Azhar's health?
According to Intelligence Bureau officials, Masood Azhar's health has deteriorated considerably and he is reportedly unable to walk. The ISI has enforced a media blackout on his condition, and audio clips attributed to him have not been independently verified.
Why has Pakistan's ISI imposed a media blackout on Masood Azhar?
The ISI has suppressed reporting on Azhar for two reasons: to maintain the morale of JeM cadres who regard him as a figurehead, and to allow a controlled leadership transition without triggering internal instability. The directive to Pakistani media was reportedly issued after Operation Sindoor.
Who is likely to lead Jaish-e-Mohammad after Masood Azhar?
Abdul Rauf Azhar, Masood's second-in-command, is considered the most likely successor if he is alive — his status remains unconfirmed. Operationally, Talha-al-Saif is the ISI's preferred choice to manage JeM's activities, while Sadiya Azhar has been installed to maintain family control.
What does JeM's new leadership structure look like?
The restructured JeM top command is limited to five members: Sadiya Azhar, Talha-al-Saif, Mufti Asghar (operations), Mohammad Hassan (spokesperson), and Maulana Sari Masood Ahmed (radicalisation and propaganda). The lean structure is designed for operational security.
What is Operation Sindoor and how is it connected to JeM?
Operation Sindoor is a recent Indian operation after which the ISI reportedly issued directives to Pakistani media to suppress all reporting on Masood Azhar. The operation appears to have accelerated ISI's internal planning for a JeM leadership transition.
