Jaish-e-Mohammad commander Masood Ilyas Kashmiri has made a major revelation, alleging that the order for senior officers of the Pakistan Army to attend the funerals of terrorists killed during Operation Sindoor in Bahawalpur city came directly from the Army Chief himself. According to Kashmiri, General Asim Munir personally instructed his generals to be present at the ceremonies, leaving no doubt that the directive was officially sanctioned at the highest military level.
In his statement, Kashmiri described how the Pakistan Army leadership deliberately involved its officers in the funerals of slain militants. This disclosure comes after months of speculation fueled by images showing uniformed Pakistani personnel taking part in such events, evidence that Islamabad had long attempted to dismiss. His admission highlights the institutional link between the Army and proscribed terrorist groups operating within Pakistan.
Kashmiri also revealed that the Director General of Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the Pakistan Army’s media and communications wing, actively attempted to hide the connection between Jaish-e-Mohammad and the terror camps based in Bahawalpur. He stated that efforts were made to conceal the truth and mislead both the Pakistani public and the international community about the existence of these facilities and the Army’s involvement with them.
This confession directly contradicts repeated claims made by the Pakistani government and military, both of which had consistently denied the presence of terrorist camps within the country. Official statements from Islamabad had dismissed reports of Jaish training centers in Bahawalpur, despite multiple intelligence reports and, now, Kashmiris’ testimony, suggesting otherwise.
The timing of Kashmiri’s confession is also significant. It comes just days after India carried out precise military strikes on May 7 under Operation Sindoor, a mission launched in retaliation for the Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 civilians. During the strikes, more than 100 terrorists were eliminated, and soon after, the Indian Army released the names of Pakistani Army officers and Punjab police officials who had attended the funerals of those killed.
The Indian military had carefully selected nine terror-linked sites as targets for the operation. These included Sawai Nalla, Sarjal, Muridke, Kotli, Kotli Gulpur, Mehmoona Joya, Bhimber, and Bahawalpur. Each site held strategic importance, with Bahawalpur serving as a stronghold of Jaish-e-Mohammad and Muridke functioning as the headquarters of Lashkar-e-Taiba. The strikes underscored India’s intent to dismantle terror infrastructure while simultaneously exposing Pakistan’s direct complicity.
