Who is Madam N? Here's how Pakistani businesswoman lured Indian influencers including Jyoti Malhotra to spy for Pakistan

In a new revelation stressing Pakistan's reliance on espionage activities targeting India, Pakistani businesswoman Noshaba Shehzad who runs "Jaiyana Travel and Tourism" in Lahore, has been identified as a person helping Indian social media influencers travel to her country and using them as spies, according to reports.

Also codenamed "Madam N", Shehzad works under Pakistan's Inter-Service Intelligence (ISI) and has been helping Indian social media influencers, including Jyoti Malhotra, who was recently arrested.

Shehzad's activities came to light during the interrogation of arrested social media influencers in India, as per reports.

She had been working to set up a massive sleeper cell network of at least 500 spies, helping them hide in plain sight across India.

Notably, Shehzad's husband is a retired officer of the Pakistani civil services. According to reports, the Pakistani Army and the ISI shared instructions on how to set up the sleeper cell network in India.

How did 'Madam N' execute it?

According to reports, the Pakistani businesswoman introduced Indian social media influencers to Pakistan's Army and the ISI and used to lure Hindus and Sikhs living in India.

Her connection with Pakistani Army and ISI also makes sense, as the company she was associated with, is the only agency that organises Sikh and Hindu pilgrimage to Pakistan.

She lured nearly 3000 citizens from India and 1500 non-resident Indians (NRIs) to visit Pakistan in the last six months.

Moreover, she was also in touch with the First Secretary (visa) Suhail Qamar and Counsellor (trade) Umar Sheryar. As she was in contact with them, it was easy for her to get a Pakistani visa for whomsoever she wanted, immediately, "with a single phone call", reports said.

Shehzad was also in touch with ISI operative Danish alias Ehsan-ur-Rehman, who worked as a visa officer in the Pakistani embassy in Delhi.