Pak’s bounty on Jaish chief Azhar ‘gimmick’, says MEA
· World · Hindustan Times, The Hindu
India has dismissed Pakistan’s renewed announcement of a bounty on Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar as a hollow gimmick and a phoney gesture. External affairs ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated during a briefing in New Delhi that such hoodwinking by Pakistan is nothing new and lacks any genuine intent to take action. Azhar is wanted by India for major terror attacks, including the 2001 Parliament strike, the 2016 Pathankot airbase assault, and the 2019 Pulwama bombing. While Pakistani authorities claim Azhar’s whereabouts are unknown and that he has fled to Afghanistan, New Delhi maintains that Islamabad continues to shelter him. The renewed reward announcement comes ahead of a crucial plenary meeting by the Financial Action Task Force to review Pakistan's anti-terrorism efforts.
Why it matters
The exchange highlights ongoing diplomatic friction between India and Pakistan over cross-border terrorism, with international pressure from the FATF continuing to drive scrutiny of Islamabad's counter-terrorism measures.
Read the original report — Hindustan Times
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