JeM's women's wing launches online course to recruit women; Masood Azhar's sisters to lead training: Report

Jaish-e-Mohammed’s newly formed women’s wing, Jamat ul-Muminat, is set to commence an online course named ‘Tufat al-Muminat’, aiming to recruit and indoctrinate women, with daily 40-minute sessions beginning 8 November. The course, which requires a fee of ₹500 per participant, has sparked concerns over continued fundraising by Pakistan-based terror groups under new guises, despite Islamabad's claims of compliance with Financial Action Task Force (FATF) standards, The Hindustan Times reported, citing sources familiar with the matter.

"Under this initiative, women family members of JeM leaders, including relatives of Masood Azhar and other commanders, will teach participants about their duties from the perspective of jihad and Islam," one of the officials said. The course is described as aiming to "indoctrinate and recruit" women, with each attendee required to pay a "donation" of ₹500 to participate, according to sources familiar with the operation.

The initiative is led by Sadiya Azhar, JeM chief Masood Azhar’s younger sister, alongside other female relatives connected to the group’s senior leadership.

Leadership of the women’s wing comprises Sadiya Azhar, whose husband, JeM commander Yusuf Azhar, was killed during India’s Operation Sindoor, and includes Masood Azhar’s other sister, Safia, and Afreera Farooq, the wife of late Pulwama attack conspirator Umar Farooq. This marks a significant change in JeM’s approach to recruitment and operations.

The group is reportedly focusing its recruitment on the wives of JeM commanders and economically vulnerable women studying at its religious centres located in Bahawalpur, Karachi, Muzaffarabad, Kotli, Haripur, and Mansehra. Participation is being facilitated through online platforms, reflecting a shift in tactics in response to Pakistan’s conservative social norms limiting women’s public movement.

The launch of Jamat ul-Muminat was announced by Masood Azhar on 8 October, followed by an event in Rawalkot, Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, called Dukhtaran-e-Islam to further mobilise women. These efforts form part of a wider strategy to create a women’s force modelled on groups such as ISIS, Hamas, and LTTE.

A senior counter-terror official stated, "After Operation Sindoor and the Pahalgam attack, JeM’s leadership realised that female members could be used to evade security scrutiny and carry out logistics or propaganda operations. This course is part of that strategy."

Traditionally, JeM had barred women from armed operations. However, intelligence assessments indicate that Masood Azhar and his brother, Talha al-Saif, have now approved the inclusion of female members in operational roles.