New Delhi: In what is largely being viewed as a cosmetic move to dodge international scrutiny, Pakistan has increased the bounty on Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) chief Maulana Masood Azhar from PKR 50 lakh to PKR 70 lakh.
The announcement, featured in the Federal Investigation Agency’s (FIA) updated ‘Red Book’ of most-wanted terrorists, comes just ahead of the crucial Financial Action Task Force (FATF) plenary meeting scheduled for October. Experts point out that this is another calculated attempt by Islamabad to mislead the global community and avoid slipping back into the FATF’s grey list.
Despite continuously claiming since 2021 that the JeM terror mastermind had fled to Afghanistan, Pakistani authorities have ironically retained him on their wanted list. Contradicting Pakistan’s official stance, technical analysis by Indian intelligence agencies over the past six months indicates that Azhar is currently hiding safely in Nawabshah, a city in Pakistan’s Sindh province.
Earlier, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader and former Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto had publicly stated that Islamabad was unaware of Masood Azhar’s whereabouts. “If India provides solid evidence that Masood Azhar is in Pakistan, he will be arrested,” Bhutto had claimed in an interview.
Beyond Azhar, the FIA’s updated Red Book lists 19 terrorists actively involved in the 26/11 Mumbai attacks. These operatives allegedly financed the terror strike, procured boats, or provided logistical support to the attackers. However, in a deceptive maneuver, Pakistan has silently removed the photographs, Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) affiliations, and operational details of two key conspirators—Muhammad Khan of Turbat and Abdul Rehman of Bahawalnagar—retaining only their names. Both were instrumental in arranging the Al-Hussaini boat used by the attackers.
The updated roster also lists several individuals who financed the deadly 26/11 attacks, including Ahmed Saeed, who reportedly donated Rs 21 lakh, and Mukhtar Ahmed, who provided nearly Rs 3 lakh.
According to the FIA, all 17 documented 26/11 suspects have been “absconding” for 18 years. However, Indian intelligence sources confirm that these terrorists are living freely within Pakistan. Over the last five years, the total number of most-wanted terrorists in Pakistan has spiked by 35%, growing from 1,330 in the FIA’s 2021 Red Book to 1,804 in the latest release, further underscoring the gap between Islamabad’s claims and its actions against state-sponsored terror.