Leadership on the run: Why Pakistan’s terror revival effort is moving slower than planned

NEW DELHI: The ISI has been attempting everything possible to get the Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed to become fully operational. Post Operation Sindoor, both these terror groups, along with the Hizbul Mujahideen, faced severe and embarrassing losses. This was courtesy of the operation that the Indian armed forces carried out precisely to avenge the Pahalgam attack.

Intelligence Bureau officials say that the ISI, with the help of the Pakistan army, is doing everything possible to revive the groups, which have been down since the Indian operation. While launch pads have been set up, training facilities restored, the biggest hurdle that is being faced is the lack of leadership.

Since Operation Sindoor, both the Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed chiefs, Hafiz Saeed and Masood Azhar, have moved between many locations. Intelligence assessments suggest both have been moved to Rawalpindi, Karachi and Lahore on several occasions. Despite the Pakistan establishment assuring them of security, both these terror chiefs refuse to be seen out in the open, Intelligence Bureau officials say. The Indian agencies are keeping a very close watch on the movements of both Saeed and Azhar.

There could be two reasons behind this constant movement of the two chiefs. The first one is fear, as Operation Sindoor clearly showed how deep the Indian armed forces could strike within Pakistan. Secondly, it could be a way of trying to distract the Indian agencies so that their exact location is never known. However, experts feel the first reason, and that is fear, is the main reason why Saeed or Azhar are hardly seen.

In the last couple of months, both Saeed and Azhar have cancelled multiple meetings and public gatherings. Earlier, they would often be seen in the open without fear of anyone. They were, in fact, heroes for their cadres. However, today that scenario has changed, and both prefer remaining underground for fear of being struck.

An official said that the absence of the two has led the ISI to rework its strategy. It wants both groups to work under a unified command, as it knows that both Jaish-e-Mohammed and Lashkar-e-Taiba would appear weak if they act independently. The official explained that the ISI does have the infrastructure and funds to resurrect both groups. However, the main issue is the leadership vacuum. This has affected operations and also recruitments.

While the ISI looks to bring the two to the mainstream and also look for a successor at the same time, it has, however, not stopped setting up infrastructure. Indian Intelligence agencies have reported that the Lashkar-e-Taiba and the Jaish-e-Mohammed are expanding their infrastructure in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).

The agencies have picked up satellite images of heavy construction work that is going on in PoK. While many of the facilities which were hit during Operation Sindoor, satellite images show that newer constructions are also coming up at a rapid pace. A massive structure that is believed to be both a religious venue as well as a training facility too is coming up in the PoK, the agencies have learnt.

Officials say that they have gathered information that apart from the religious centre, four command centres, too, are coming up in the region. This is a clear indicator that the ISI wants to relaunch full-fledged operations in PoK with the intent of striking Jammu and Kashmir.

However, the problem that persists is that of the leadership and officials in India believe that without the presence of Saeed and Azhar, their terror groups would find it hard to launch full-fledged operations.