National Security / Masood Azhar in Afghanistan, Claims Pakistan; Indian Agencies Disagree

New Delhi, Sep 15: In a move seen as more symbolic than substantive, Pakistan’s Federal Investigation Agency has raised the bounty on Jaish‑e‑Mohammed chief Masood Azhar to PKR 70 lakh, insisting he is hiding in Afghanistan — a claim dismissed by intelligence agencies and global observers as an attempt to divert the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) scrutiny over Pakistan’s handling of terror financing.

The announcement comes at a time when Pakistan faces heightened pressure to demonstrate credible action against militant groups. Security officials and Pakistan watchers believe the increased bounty is designed to create the impression of action against Azhar while concealing his actual whereabouts.

While unveiling the bounty, the FIA insisted Azhar is in Afghanistan, a claim repeatedly rejected by the Afghan Taliban. Indian intelligence officials also dismissed the assertion, stating Azhar remains in Pakistan.
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An Intelligence Bureau officer said, “During Operation Sindoor, he was very much in Bahawalpur, but not at the Jaish‑e‑Mohammed headquarters that was hit. At the time of the operation, he was immediately shifted to the Combined Military Hospital in Rawalpindi. He has been on and off at the facility as he suffers from chronic renal failure.”

Another official revealed Azhar has been moved multiple times within Pakistan since Operation Sindoor was launched last year.

“He is never kept in one place for long due to security reasons. When he was at the Rawalpindi hospital, a mysterious explosion had taken place during which he suffered minor injuries,” the official added.

Officials said Azhar’s frequent relocation is driven by both security concerns and mounting FATF pressure. The ISI, they noted, cannot afford to lose him, particularly as JeM attempts to rebuild. Azhar has consistently released audio clips urging cadres to remain brave and fight against Indian forces in Jammu and Kashmir.

“He is a polarising figure, and the ISI needs to keep him safe. Moreover, with tensions so high with the Taliban, the possibility of Pakistan moving him to Afghanistan is impossible,” officials said.

Indian intelligence tracking suggests Azhar is often housed at a facility in Nawabshah City in Sindh Province, with another safe house in Skardu, Pakistan‑occupied Kashmir (PoK). However, unrest in PoK has forced a change in recruitment strategy.

The ISI has temporarily halted recruitment in the region, focusing instead on other parts of Pakistan to draw youth into groups like JeM and Lashkar‑e‑Taiba.

“This also prompted Pakistan to move Azhar away from PoK and send him back to Nawabshah. He is currently moved between Nawabshah and Rawalpindi,” officials said.

Observers argue the bounty is a ploy to hoodwink the FATF. Pakistan’s claim that Azhar is in Afghanistan is widely dismissed, with experts noting the ISI would not risk placing him there amid deteriorating ties with the Taliban.

This is not the first such announcement. In 2021, the FIA declared a bounty of PKR 50 lakh on Azhar, also claiming he was outside Pakistan. Nothing changed in JeM’s operations after that, and Azhar remained active.

Under his leadership, JeM has adapted new tactics in Jammu and Kashmir, including hybrid warfare and proxy fronts. To evade FATF scrutiny, the group has operated under outfits like the People’s Anti Fascist Front (PAFF), which claimed responsibility for deadly ambushes on Indian security forces in Poonch and Rajouri.

Officials say Pakistan’s current priority is to keep Azhar safe while projecting compliance to the FATF. Although he has released several audio clips to boost cadre morale, the ISI has now asked him to pause such communications. Islamabad wants to maintain the impression that Azhar is outside the country until FATF meetings scheduled in Paris from October 26 to 30 conclude.

(IANS)