New Delhi: The terror outfits Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) continue to struggle in the aftermath of Operation Sindoor, despite repeated efforts by Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) to resurrect them. Although both groups still have cadres at their disposal, their inability to recover stems largely from the fact that their top leaders have gone underground.
Masood Azhar, the JeM chief, has been in deep depression after losing several family members during Operation Sindoor. The Indian Armed Forces’ precision strike flattened the outfit’s Bahawalpur headquarters, killing many of Azhar’s relatives who were inside at the time.
Similarly, Hafiz Saeed’s Lashkar-e-Taiba suffered extensive losses during the operation. Saeed himself has since gone into hiding, with Indian intelligence officials noting that he now fears an internal betrayal more than any external threat.
The aftermath of Operation Sindoor has triggered growing unrest within both organisations. Many members are increasingly resentful that their leaders enjoy protection from the ISI and the Pakistan Army while they themselves are left vulnerable. They accuse figures like Saeed and Azhar of prioritising their own safety and families over the welfare of their foot soldiers.
Cadres have also begun questioning whether martyrdom in the name of jihad is meant only for them and not their leaders. They point to Lashkar’s operational commander, Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi, who has long been kept under high-security protection and has not been seen publicly in years—fuelling further distrust within the ranks.
In JeM’s case, Azhar initially received sympathy after his family’s loss, but his continued absence and old videos being circulated as new ones have deepened frustration among the cadres. Officials say this discontent has now reached critical levels.
While Operation Sindoor crippled both outfits operationally, developments in Afghanistan and Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) region have further alienated their cadres. Many within LeT and JeM are disillusioned with their leadership’s silence over Pakistan’s confrontations with the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the Afghan Taliban. They fail to understand why their outfits—historically aligned against India and the West—are toeing Islamabad’s line against fellow Islamist groups.
Pakistan’s recent rapprochement with the United States has only worsened the mood among these cadres, who view America as a long-time adversary. This perceived betrayal has reignited old grievances and mistrust within their ranks.
Although the Pakistani Army and ISI still view LeT and JeM as vital proxy assets, both institutions are currently preoccupied with mounting challenges from the Taliban, the TTP, and the Balochistan Nationalist Army (BLA). Heavy losses in these conflicts have diverted their attention and resources away from reviving the two groups.
According to officials, this preoccupation explains the repeated failure of infiltration attempts into Jammu and Kashmir in recent months. Even if the ISI attempts to rejuvenate its proxy network, restoring morale and faith among disillusioned fighters will be a far greater challenge. As things stand, not only is the morale of the cadres at an all-time low, but their trust in their leadership has almost completely eroded.
