Pakistan has placed Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) founder Masood Azhar on the Federal Investigation Agency’s (FIA) Red Book of most-wanted terrorists and announced a Rs 70 lakh reward for information that could lead to his arrest.
The development comes ahead of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) plenary scheduled for October and is likely to draw attention to Pakistan’s efforts to demonstrate action against terrorism and terror financing.
Azhar, who has been designated as a terrorist by the United Nations, has long been a key figure in India-Pakistan counterterrorism discussions. Pakistan has previously faced scrutiny over its handling of terror organisations operating from its territory.
Pakistan Raises Reward For Information On Azhar
The FIA’s latest move includes a higher reward than the one announced in 2021. At that time, authorities had offered Rs 50 lakh for information that could assist in locating and apprehending Azhar.
The latest Red Book reportedly also contains the names of 19 other individuals accused of supporting those responsible for the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks.
These individuals are accused of providing financial assistance to the attackers and helping facilitate the operation, including through the boats used to reach Mumbai.
Conflicting Claims Over Masood Azhar’s Whereabouts
Azhar’s reported whereabouts have remained the subject of conflicting claims.
In July 2025, he was reportedly seen in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir’s Gilgit-Baltistan region, more than 1,000 km from Bahawalpur, which has long been associated with his activities.
The reported sighting came after claims that Azhar had disappeared from Pakistan and may have been staying in Afghanistan.
The Taliban authorities in Afghanistan have rejected Pakistan’s allegations that the JeM founder is operating from Afghan territory.
Meanwhile, an ABP News report, citing Indian intelligence sources, claimed that technical analysis carried out over the previous six months indicated that Azhar could be hiding in Nawabshah in Pakistan’s Sindh province.
The latest development places renewed focus on Pakistan’s counterterrorism measures as it approaches the upcoming FATF review.
