Bahawalpur: The Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) headquarters at Bahawalpur has been substantially rebuilt, around 15 months after it was struck by India during Operation Sindoor on May 7, 2025.
Intelligence inputs accessed by CNN-News18 revealed that the Pakistan government, with alleged involvement of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), released around Rs 25 crore in instalments to help rebuild the complex of the UN and India proscribed terrorist outfit.
Of the funds, Rs 11 crore was reportedly spent on restoring the central hall of Markaz Subhanallah. The hall has now undergone extensive renovation, with freshly plastered and painted walls, newly laid marble flooring and a complete clean-up of the premises. The complex, sources say, is once again being prepared for regular use.
Activity to rebuild the structure became visible in early 2026, with heavy machinery, bricks, steel and construction material being brought to the site. By the middle of 2026, the facility had regained the appearance of a fully functional complex.
The Bahawalpur facility, located immediately behind the N-5 highway, has historically been described as serving multiple functions for the JeM, including as a madrassa, recruitment centre and planning facility.
CNN-News18 had earlier reported the complex’s proximity to Pakistan’s 31 Corps military cantonment. Intelligence sources had viewed the location as an indicator of the protection and support allegedly extended to Jaish by elements within Pakistan’s security establishment.
Indian forces carried out nine precision missile strikes against terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK). Carried out between approximately 12.37 am and 1.00 am, the overall operation lasted around 25 minutes, according to earlier official and intelligence-linked accounts.
The operation specifically targeted the leadership and infrastructure of both JeM and Lashkar-e-Taiba, in retaliation to the April 22 and Pahalgam terror strike in which 26 innocents were killed. Jaish chief Masood Azhar had then claimed that around 10 members of his family were killed in the Bahawalpur strike.
The reported Rs 25-crore reconstruction package was released soon after the strikes, sources said with the objective of restoring the base.
This reveals the nexus between terror outfits like the JeM, LeT, the Pakistan Army, ISI and Pakistani government.
Elements of the ISI and Pakistan Army have been supporting the emergence of a new generation of Jaish commanders, while recruitment and training activity is being restored at locations previously targeted by India.
The speed of the rebuilding – from debris clearance to restoration of structures, halls and domes – is being cited by intelligence officials as an indication of continued institutional support for the group.
