‘We’ve Seen Such Gimmicks Before’: India Dismisses Pakistan’s Masood Azhar Reward Hike

The Indian government firmly rejected Pakistan's recent decision to raise the reward for information leading to the arrest of Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar, branding it as a "gimmick" and questioning Islamabad's true motives. At a routine media briefing, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated that such announcements by Pakistan are not uncommon and accused the nation of attempting to "mislead" people.

Jaiswal urged Pakistan to pursue concrete action rather than making what he described as "empty declarations" that lack any real impact. The Pakistani Federal Investigation Agency has reportedly increased the bounty on Azhar to PKR 70 lakh (approximately Rs 24 lakh), up from the previous PKR 50 lakh. Azhar has been listed as a fugitive in the FIA's 2026 Red Book of most-wanted high-profile terrorists and was initially offered a reward in 2021.

The terrorist was designated a global threat by the United Nations Security Council in 2019, with the United States offering an additional $10 million for information leading to his capture. This development precedes the Financial Action Task Force's October plenary, amid heightened scrutiny of Pakistan's actions against UN-designated terrorists.

Pakistan claims Azhar is not present in the country, having reportedly crossed into Afghanistan, a claim India has dismissed. Masood Azhar founded the JeM terrorist organization following his release from an Indian jail in 1999, in exchange for passengers of hijacked Indian Airlines flight IC-814. The group is widely blamed for several major terror attacks in India.