Pakistan raises bounty on Jaish-e-Mohammed leader Masood Azhar ahead of FATF review
Pakistan increased the reward for information on Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar to PKR 70 lakh and listed him as a fugitive as the FATF plenary approaches.
Pakistan’s Federal Investigation Agency raised the bounty on Jaish-e-Mohammed leader Masood Azhar by PKR 20 lakh, setting the total at PKR 70 lakh and designating him a fugitive in the new Red Book of most-wanted terrorists. The agency had first offered PKR 50 lakh in 2021, and the latest increase comes as the country prepares for the Financial Action Task Force plenary in October, seeking to keep its status off the grey list.
Authorities assert that Azhar is no longer on Pakistani soil, alleging he escaped to Afghanistan after a 2021 claim. The Shehbaz Sharif government views the bounty hike as a signal of concrete action against terrorism to the international community. Critics argue the fugitive label may be a public-relations move to mask the presence of sanctioned groups within Pakistan. In the same period, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is slated to meet U.S. President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.
Why it matters
The bounty increase signals Pakistan’s attempt to placate the FATF and show progress against terrorism before a critical review.
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