Masood Azhar Bounty: Pakistan Claims JeM Chief Is In Afghanistan, India Says He Remains In Pakistan

Pakistan’s Federal Investigation Agency has announced a fresh bounty of PKR 70 lakh for Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar, claiming he is hiding in Afghanistan.

Indian intelligence officials dispute the claim. They say their tracking indicates Azhar remains in Pakistan and has repeatedly changed locations to avoid detection and international scrutiny.

An Intelligence Bureau official said Azhar was in Bahawalpur during Operation Sindoor, but authorities moved him to the Combined Military Hospital in Rawalpindi.

The official said Azhar suffers from chronic renal failure and has frequently stayed at the facility.

Another official said Pakistani authorities have shifted him between three or four locations since the operation.

Officials said Azhar has been moved between Nawabshah in Sindh and Rawalpindi. They claimed he maintains another safe house in Skardu in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

The officials said security concerns and pressure from the Financial Action Task Force have influenced the movements. They claimed Pakistan cannot risk sending Azhar to Afghanistan amid deteriorating relations with the Taliban.

Pakistan observers described the latest bounty as an attempt to demonstrate action against terrorism financing before upcoming FATF meetings in Paris from October 26 to 30.

The FIA had announced a PKR 50 lakh bounty for Azhar in 2021, while Islamabad similarly denied that he was present in Pakistan.

Officials said JeM has adapted its operations through hybrid warfare and proxy groups, including the People’s Anti-Fascist Front, which has claimed attacks in Poonch and Rajouri. They further claimed that Pakistani intelligence agencies have restricted Azhar’s recent audio messaging to keep him away from international attention.

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