- 4 Women used as human shields among 6 arrested in Bandipora
- ₹8 lakh funnelled through women’s bank accounts
- Secret hotel meetings that aimed to radicalise a generation
- The hunt continues: Maulvi, couriers still at large
- A dangerous new chapter in Pakistan’s proxy war nipped in the bud
In a chilling and desperate new strategy, Pakistan’s spy handlers launched a calculated bid to raise an all-women terror financing and propaganda module in Kashmir — using local women as human shields to revive the dying terror ecosystem.
The dangerous plot has been spectacularly foiled after Jammu and Kashmir Police smashed the six-member module in Bandipora and arrested four women along with two men.
This is no ordinary bust. Security agencies say it marks the first time Pakistani handlers have attempted to systematically convert Kashmiri women into the backbone of a terror-funding and radicalisation network — believing women would face less scrutiny and move money and messages more freely.
The Plot to Create a Women-Led Terror Pipeline
At the heart of this sinister experiment was Wahid Ahmed Butt, a Handwara resident who was released from jail in 2024 on health grounds after his 2022 UAPA arrest. Far from reforming, Butt allegedly became the ground handler for a Pakistan-based mastermind identified as Manzoor Ahmed Shah.
Under instructions from across the border, Butt began recruiting women specifically for the module linked to the banned separatist group Ittehad-ul-Muslimeen.
Police sources reveal the clear intent: build a female-dominated network that could raise funds, hold secret meetings, and spread jihadi-separatist ideology while remaining under the radar.
Four women — Mubeena Bano, Khushboo Jan, Mehak Jan and Aalia Jan — were allegedly inducted into this emerging women-centric terror module.
Over recent months, nearly ₹8 lakh was funnelled from Pakistan through their accounts and cash couriers. ₹2.26 lakh alone landed in Mubeena Bano’s Jammu & Kashmir Bank account in Dachigam, Bandipora.
Secret Meetings, Bank Accounts and Radicalisation
Butt organised nearly two dozen clandestine meetings. At least five or six were held in a small hotel on the Bandipora-Baramulla road, where the women were allegedly radicalised and trained to operate as both fund-raisers and ideologues. The money was partly distributed among associates and partly used for Butt’s medical expenses — a cynical mix of terror funding and personal gain.
A senior police officer put it bluntly: “This was a deliberate attempt by Pakistani handlers to create a women-led terror support group. Earlier we would find one or two women in larger modules. Here, four women formed the core of a single module. The message was clear — use women as shields because society and agencies are less likely to suspect them.”
The Hunt Continues
Police are still searching for a maulvi and two suspected couriers from Kupwara who were part of the same network. Their arrests are expected soon.
What has been nipped in the bud is a dangerous new chapter in Pakistan’s proxy war: the attempt to turn Kashmiri women into an organised terror-financing and propaganda force. Thanks to sharp intelligence and swift action by J&K Police, the bid to create this women terror module has been comprehensively foiled — at least for now.
The Valley remains on high alert. Pakistan’s game is evolving. So is the response.
