Pakistan's longstanding claim that the terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) is defunct faces fresh contradictions, highlighted by a recent UN monitoring report and resurfaced statements from former Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, who publicly acknowledged the presence of JeM chief Masood Azhar within Pakistan.
The 37th report of the UN Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team has reignited the debate, linking the Pakistan-based JeM to the April 22, 2025, attack in Pahalgam and other terror incidents. The document attributes these observations to inputs from a member state, widely understood to be India, lending diplomatic weight to the allegations despite the monitoring body's limited enforcement powers.
In an article for the US-based Eurasia Review, former Indian army officer Nilesh Kunwar emphasized the report's significance, noting that while the UN mechanism lacks "teeth," its documentation can serve as leverage in international forums and acts as crucial diplomatic signalling.
India has repeatedly accused Pakistan of supporting terrorist groups operating across the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir, while Islamabad insists that JeM has been dismantled and no longer functions as an organized entity on its soil.
Recent Indian Army operations in the Kashmir Valley have inflicted heavy blows on JeM's network, with sustained efforts underway in the Chatroo belt amid the presence of multiple terror groups. On February 5, a joint operation involving the Army, Jammu and Kashmir Police, and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) eliminated Adil, a Pakistani national and key JeM operative who had evaded security forces nearly 20 times over 18 months, fracturing a core operational module. JeM associate Saifullah remains at large.
The controversy has intensified with renewed attention on comments by Shah Mahmood Qureshi, underscoring inconsistencies in Pakistan's public stance on JeM's status and its leadership's location.
