The “reopening” of Balakot was confirmed by the India Army Chief General Bipin Rawat at the end of September. “Balakot has been reactivated by Pakistan very recently. That shows that Balakot has been affected. It had been damaged and destroyed. And that is why people have got away from there and now it has been reactivated,” he had said.

But the calls for recruiting new cadres had been sent out despite the Pakistani government’s claims that action has been taken against terrorist groups. Recruitment has already begun in Swat and Peshawar, apart from parts of Pakistan Administered Kashmir like Muzaffarabad, Poonch and Kotli. The recruitment drive is being spear-headed by Ibrahim Azhar, brother of JeM leader Masood Azhar.