At a time when Pakistan is taking desperate measures to get itself off the grey list of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) to ward off economic sanctions, it is also sending feelers to terror outfits like the Jaish-e-Mohammed asserting that their contributions are not going unnoticed.
The killing of three JeM terrorists in an encounter by Indian security forces along the Jammu-Srinagar Highway on January 31 came as a setback to the terror outfit, but the three slain terrorists have been celebrated by the Pakistan ISI as the new ''Shaheeds''.
Intelligence reports have identified these three slain terrorists as Abdul Rashid, Nawaab Hussain and Zakkah Ullah.
A Dua e Majlis (funeral prayer in absentia) was organised at Madrassa Sah Ismail Shaheed at Bahawalpur in Pakistan, the headquarters of the JeM for these three terrorists', as per the latest intelligence inputs.
Intelligence reports revealed that the prayer ceremony was held at a Madarssa which is close to Jama Masjid in Bahawalpur and the prayers were offered by Imam Mufti Sakhlain.
The latest inputs have shed light on the renewed attempt being made by the Pakistan ISI towards acknowledging the sacrifices of the cadres of the terror outfit which had received a setback after Indian Air Force launched an airstrike at Balakot in February last year, destroying JeM's terror camps.
The prayer ceremony for the three slain Jaish terrorists holds significance as the ISI is keen to continue to motivate the recruits to carry out spectacular strikes like the Uri or the Pulwama attacks on Indian security forces.
The international pressure on Islamabad to adhere to strict norms for curbing terror financing is becoming an obstacle in pumping funds to terror groups, said a counter terror official, which is why the ''motivation'' needs to remain high for new recruits and the trained cadres to continue the terror infiltration into Jammu and Kashmir. One way is to recognise the sacrifices of the slain terrorists, the official said.
The prayer ceremony for the three slain terrorists has delivered this message not only to the JeM, but to other terrorist groups also, the official added.
Meanwhile, Islamabad continued to showcase its crackdown on terror outfits like the LeT ahead of the FATF meet in Paris next month. The first among them is the decision of an anti-terror court in Pakistan to sentence JuD chief and LeT patron Hafiz Saeed to 11 years in jail in two terror financing cases. But behind the scenes in Bahawalpur the message had already gone down clear that the recognition of ''Shaheeds'' will continue.