Why Jaish-e-Mohammed Is Back in Discussion After Dr. Shaheen's Arrest in the Delhi Blast — Where Did It All Begin?

The nation is still grieving after the recent blast near Delhi’s Red Fort, which claimed ten innocent lives and injured twenty others. Before the explosion, a doctor named Dr. Shaheen from Lucknow was arrested in Faridabad. Investigations have revealed that she is linked to the same terrorist network behind the Delhi blast. Security agencies have stated that she was assigned to lead the women’s wing of Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) in India, known as “Jamat-ul-Momineen.”

Preliminary investigations indicate that Dr. Shaheen’s main role was to recruit women, spread extremist ideology, and build the foundation of JeM’s women’s network in India. This arrest has once again brought Jaish-e-Mohammed and its founder Masood Azhar into the spotlight. Here’s how the organization was founded and how it grew over the years.

The Beginning of Masood Azhar’s Terror Path

In the early 1990s, a young man named Masood Azhar, about 21 or 22 years old and a resident of Bahawalpur, Pakistan, came into contact with the terrorist outfit Harkat-ul-Mujahideen. The organization sent him to Afghanistan for training.

However, due to his poor physical fitness, Masood could not complete the training. Instead, he was assigned to edit a propaganda magazine called Sada-e-Mujahid, which published stories glorifying terrorists as heroes. The magazine, printed in about a thousand copies, was distributed for free to brainwash and recruit young men.

Rise Within the Terror Network

Masood’s writing and communication skills made him popular among senior leaders. Though weak physically, he was a powerful orator and effective recruiter. Soon, Harkat-ul-Mujahideen began sending him on international tours—to Saudi Arabia, Britain, and other countries—to deliver fiery speeches promoting jihad.

His speeches were extremely persuasive and influenced many youths to join extremist causes. In 1994, Masood was directed to focus on Kashmir, where he gave multiple speeches and managed to radicalize many young men against India.

The Formation of Harkat-ul-Ansar and Masood’s India Mission

In 1993, Harkat-ul-Mujahideen merged with Harkat-ul-Jihad to form Harkat-ul-Ansar. Internal conflicts soon arose between the leaders of both groups in Kashmir. To mediate, Masood Azhar was chosen to travel to India.

Masood entered India for the first time in January 1994, using a Portuguese passport under the fake name Wali Aden Isa. When a security officer at Delhi’s IGI Airport questioned his nationality, Masood claimed to be of Gujarati origin, which helped him slip through.

From Delhi to Deoband and Lucknow — Masood’s Early Movements

Upon arrival, he stayed at Ashoka Hotel in Chanakyapuri and contacted Ashraf Dar, a Kashmiri associate. Accompanied by another member, Abu Mahmood, Masood traveled to Deoband, staying overnight at the Darul Uloom seminary, and later visited Saharanpur.

He then returned to Delhi, checked into Hotel Janpath, and later Hotel Sheesh Mahal in Karol Bagh, always using the alias Wali Aden Isa. He also visited Lucknow to meet Maulana Abu Hasan Nadvi (Ali Miyan) but couldn’t get an appointment.

During this time, Masood reportedly bought 12 compasses from Hazrat Nizamuddin, intending to gift them to militants in Kashmir.

Arrest in Kashmir

On February 9, 1994, Masood reached Srinagar, where Ashraf Dar arranged for his stay at a madrasa in Lal Bazaar. That night, he was taken to a hideout in Anantnag, where he met Afghan terrorist Sajjad and his aide Amjad Bilal.

Two days later, on February 11, while returning with Sajjad and another terrorist, Farooq, their car broke down. They switched to an auto-rickshaw but were stopped by security forces at a checkpoint. Farooq opened fire, prompting retaliation from the Indian Army. While Farooq escaped, Masood Azhar and Sajjad were arrested.

Masood Azhar’s Time in Indian Custody

Masood was first kept in Badami Bagh Cantonment, later transferred to Tihar Jail, and finally to Kot Balwal Jail in Jammu. Even in custody, he frequently bragged to police officials, claiming, “You don’t know how important I am to the ISI and Pakistan.”

Officers were shocked by his arrogance and by the scale of ISI’s support for him. Once, after being slapped by a soldier during interrogation, Masood reportedly began revealing crucial information about his background and the terrorist organizations he was associated with.

The Legacy and the Present

Masood Azhar went on to found Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) in 2000, after being released in the IC-814 hijacking prisoner exchange deal. Since then, JeM has been behind several major terrorist attacks in India, including the 2001 Parliament attack, the Pathankot airbase attack, and the Pulwama attack.

Now, with Dr. Shaheen’s arrest and her links to JeM’s women’s network coming to light, it appears the organization is once again trying to rebuild its base in India through new and alarming channels — including female recruitment and radicalization.