“My Brother Had Diabetes But Died Suddenly With No Health Crisis” Masood Azhar on the death of his elder brother, Muhammad Tahir Anwar.

On April 4, 2026, the chief of the Pakistan-based UN-designated terrorist organisation Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) Maulana Masood Azhar released an 8-page Urdu booklet titled “Brother’s Gift” (under the header “Madinah… Madinah”). The booklet mourns the death of his elder brother,terrorist Muhammad Tahir Anwar (also known as Hakeem Muhammad Tahir Anwar or “Tara”/Star), who died in Bahawalpur, Pakistan, under mysterious circumstances.

The booklet, circulated among JeM supporters, praises the Anwar long service to the “path of Jihad” and the terror outfit. It provides a rare, self-revealing glimpse into how JeM functions as a family-run terror network, with blood relatives handling sensitive logistical, communication, and ideological roles that support anti-India activities. 

 Who Was Terrorist Muhammad Tahir Anwar?

Terrorist Muhammad Tahir Anwar was the elder brother of terrorist Masood Azhar and a senior commander of JeM. He was around 62 years old at the time of his death in Bahawalpur, Pakistan, the stronghold of the Azhar family and a key JeM hub. The exact cause of his death remains unclear.  As per ABP News report, Muhammad Tahir Anwar lived with his family at Jaish-e-Mohammed’s new headquarters, Markaz Usman-o-Ali, where he oversaw training camps and supported weapons procurement for the group’s activities.

The organisation held his funeral prayers at the same facility around 11:30 PM (IST), with Jaish chief Masood Azhar and senior operatives including Ibrahim Azhar, Talha al-Saif, Abdur Rauf, and Mohammad Ammar Alvi in attendance. Earlier, Anwar survived India’s Operation Sindoor, during which an Indian Air Force strike on Markaz Subhanallah injured him and his son. Authorities later conducted his burial at Jamia Masjid Usman Wali in Bahawalpur, and he now rests in Mazar-e-Sabri alongside the family’s father.

Details from the Masood Azhar’s written booklet;  

• Tahir Anwar had long-term diabetes but died suddenly without any immediate health crisis, claims Masood Azhar in the booklet. 
• He is survived by six sons and two daughters and had become a grandfather.  
• The Azhar family is deeply rooted in Bahawalpur. Massod’s family suffered heavy casualties during Operation Sindoor in 2025.  
• His primary documented role involved managing communication networks in the pre-digital era mentioned by Masood Azhar:  
• He personally copied and dispatched thousands of handwritten letters and replies on behalf of Masood Azhar to terrorists and their handlers.
• On peak days, he handled up to 50 letters.  
• He transcribed Masood Azhar’s responses neatly and signed them as “Abu Musab,” “Hakeem Muhammad Tahir Anwar,” or simply his name.  
• He coordinated “bay’ah” (pledge of allegiance) communications and notified thousands that JeM had accepted their pledges.
• One supporter reportedly joined the “Jihad and Jamaat” after receiving a reply dated on Eid, interpreting it as proof of unwavering commitment without “holidays” in such activities.
• Masood Azhar states that Tahir Anwar served as a critical behind-the-scenes operator for 25 years after his release from Indian custody following the 1999 IC-814 hijacking, during which hijackers held Indian passengers hostage to secure his freedom.

Masood Azhar highlights that his brother provided “full cooperation” on the path of Jihad. Masood Azhar later appointed Tahir Anwar as the “Mutawalli” (caretaker) of Jamia Masjid Usman and Ali, which is a key JeM-linked facility where supporters gathered.

The booklet uses Quranic verses and Hadith to frame personal loss within a terror ideological narrative. Death linked to the terror group’s activities (referred to as “jihad”) is elevated to martyrdom, even in natural cases. The booklet extensively quotes the Quran and Hadith as part of a larger jihadist ideology aimed at India

In May 2025, following the deadly Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir, India launched Operation Sindoor, a precision strikes on terror infrastructure linked to JeM and other groups in Pakistan and PoJK. The operation targeted terror sites including the Jamia Masjid Subhan Allah / Markaz Subhanallah complex in Bahawalpur, a known JeM terror hub. Reports indicated that around 14 relatives of Masood Azhar (including his elder sister, her husband, a nephew, a niece, and children) were among those killed, along with aides. JeM commanders later admitted that the strikes “tore the family into pieces.” This religious framing serves as a propaganda and recruitment tool: it glorifies service to JeM’s anti-India terror campaign.

Family as Operational Backbone of Jaish

JeM largely operates as a family enterprise terror group deeply involved in planning and supporting terror activities targeting India. Masood Azhar’s relatives occupy key logistical, ideological, and operational positions:  

• Brothers and other family members have handled support roles, such as Tahir Anwar’s long-term communication work that aided recruitment and pledges for JeM’s operations.  
• The family-linked mosque complex in Bahawalpur has served as a hub for gatherings and activities connected to the group.  
• Even after major losses from Indian strikes, the family has attempted to maintain central roles.  

Masood Azhar’s “Brother’s Gift” exposes how Jaish-e-Mohammed operates as a family-driven terror organisation, relying on close relatives for communication, loyalty, logistical support and how blood ties sustain the organisation with relatives managing sensitive tasks that support JeM’s cross-border terror infrastructure. 

Note: This article does not support or promote terrorism or extremist ideology and draws exclusively on open-source intelligence (OSINT) for analytical and informational purposes.