India calls Pakistan’s Masood Azhar reward move a gimmick
India has dismissed Pakistan’s reported decision to renew or raise the reward for information leading to the arrest of Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar as a “gimmick” and a “phoney announcement”, questioning Islamabad’s seriousness in acting against the India-designated terrorist.
Azhar, one of India’s most-wanted terrorists, has long been linked by Indian authorities to several major terror attacks in the country. His role as the founder and chief of Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) has remained a longstanding point of contention between New Delhi and Islamabad.
Pakistan’s reiteration of the reward comes amid international pressure on Islamabad to take action against terrorist organisations and their financing networks operating from its territory, especially against scrutiny by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), the global watchdog for combating money laundering and terrorist financing. Pakistan has previously faced intense international pressure to demonstrate concrete action against terror financing and militant groups.
Indian officials have questioned the credibility of Pakistan announcing a reward for information on a figure whom India has long accused of involvement in terrorism. New Delhi has repeatedly demanded verifiable and sustained action against terrorist groups and their leadership, rather than announcements that do not result in concrete measures.
Azhar was released by India in 1999 in exchange for the passengers of Indian Airlines flight IC-814, which was hijacked and taken to Kandahar, Afghanistan. Pakistan-based JeM is designated as a terrorist organisation by India and several other countries.
India has linked Azhar to several major attacks, including the 2001 Parliament attack, the 2016 Pathankot attack and the 2019 Pulwama attack. The 2008 Mumbai attacks have also been associated with JeM in broader accounts of terrorism in India, although allegations and the circumstances surrounding individual attacks have varied.
In 2019, the United Nations Security Council designated Azhar as a global terrorist. Islamabad has maintained that Azhar is no longer in Pakistan and has said that he fled to Afghanistan. In 2021, Pakistan’s Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) announced a reward of PKR 50 lakh for information that could lead to his arrest.
India has repeatedly called for Azhar to be brought to justice, while his whereabouts and alleged continued presence in the region have remained a source of friction in bilateral relations.
The latest Pakistani announcement is unlikely to ease tensions between the two countries. New Delhi’s position remains that Pakistan’s commitment to combating terrorism should be measured by arrests, prosecutions and the dismantling of terrorist networks, rather than by public announcements.
