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Pakistan hikes bounty on Masood Azhar to PKR 70 lakh
Pakistan's Federal Investigative Agency (FIA) has released its 2026 ‘Red Book’ of most wanted terrorists, prominently featuring Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) chief Masood Azhar. The agency has increased the bounty on Azhar to PKR 70 lakh, up from the PKR 50 lakh reward established in 2021.
Security experts and Indian intelligence agencies have characterized the move as a ‘smokescreen’ or ‘eyewash’ intended to appease the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) ahead of its plenary meeting in October. The goal of such a gesture is seen as an attempt to avoid being placed back on the FATF grey list by demonstrating active counter-terrorism measures.
While Pakistan has repeatedly claimed that Azhar fled to Afghanistan, Indian intelligence assessments suggest he remains in hiding within Pakistan, specifically in the city of Nawabshah in Sindh province. The updated list also includes 19 individuals allegedly linked to the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, though reports note that certain details and photographs for some suspects have been removed from the current version compared to previous lists.
Entities
Federal Investigation Agency · Federal Investigative Agency · Financial Action Task Force · Jaish-e-Mohammed · Lashkar-e-Taiba · Masood Azhar · Pakistan
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.
- [● 11 SOURCES] The bounty on Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar was increased from PKR 50 lakh to PKR 70 lakh. desitalkchicago.com · bhaskarlive.in · stratnewsglobal.com · www.indiandefensenews.in · newsable.asianetnews.com · +6 more
- [● 6 SOURCES] Indian intelligence agencies assert that Masood Azhar is hiding in Nawabshah, Sindh province, Pakistan. bhaskarlive.in · stratnewsglobal.com · www.indiandefensenews.in · newsable.asianetnews.com · yespunjab.com · +1 more
- [● 6 SOURCES] The bounty increase is viewed by experts as a tactic to avoid Financial Action Task Force (FATF) scrutiny. desitalkchicago.com · bhaskarlive.in · www.indiandefensenews.in · newsable.asianetnews.com · www.timesnownews.com · +1 more
- [● 6 SOURCES] The FIA's updated list includes 19 individuals allegedly linked to the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks. bhaskarlive.in · www.indiandefensenews.in · newsable.asianetnews.com · yespunjab.com · stratnewsglobal.com · +1 more
- [● 11 SOURCES] Pakistan's Federal Investigative Agency (FIA) released its 2026 Red Book of most wanted terrorists. desitalkchicago.com · bhaskarlive.in · stratnewsglobal.com · www.indiandefensenews.in · newsable.asianetnews.com · +6 more
- [● 7 SOURCES] Pakistani authorities have previously claimed Masood Azhar fled to Afghanistan. stratnewsglobal.com · www.indiandefensenews.in · newsable.asianetnews.com · www.newsx.com · www.bhaskarhindi.com · +2 more