Pakistan hikes bounty on Jaish chief Masood Azhar to PKR 70 lakh ahead of FATF review

Pakistan’s FIA has reportedly included Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar in its 2026 most-wanted terrorists list and raised the reward for information leading to his capture to PKR 70 lakh.

Pakistan’s Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has reportedly released its 2026 list of most-wanted terrorists, which includes Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) chief Masood Azhar. The reward for information leading to his capture has reportedly been increased from PKR 20 lakh to PKR 70 lakh.

The inclusion of Azhar’s name on the list comes ahead of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) plenary scheduled for October, as Pakistan seeks to avoid being placed back on the grey list. The FATF is the global body responsible for setting standards to combat money laundering and terrorist financing.

Pakistan has maintained since 2021 that Masood Azhar is no longer in the country and had fled to Afghanistan. That year, the FIA announced a PKR 50 lakh reward for information leading to his arrest. Five years later, the reward has been increased to PKR 70 lakh.

The FIA’s latest Red Book also lists 19 terrorists linked to the 26/11 Mumbai attacks. They are accused of aiding the attackers by providing funds, logistical support and arranging boats used by the operatives.

The revised list includes 11 Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorists accused of helping arrange the sea journey used by the attackers on the boats Al-Hussaini and Al-Fauz. According to a report by news agency ANI, they are Muhammad Amjad Khan (Multan), Shahid Gafoor (Bahawalpur), Mohammad Usman (Sahiwal), Ateeq-ur-Rehman (Lahore), Riaz Ahmad (Hafizabad), Muhammad Mushtaq (Gujranwala), Muhammad Naeem (Dera Ghazi Khan), Abdul Shakoor (Karachi), Muhammad Sabir Salfi (Multan), Muhammad Usman (Lodhran) and Shakeel Ahmed (Rahim Yar Khan).

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The list also identifies six terrorists accused of providing financial support for the 26/11 Mumbai attacks. They include Muhammad Iftikhar Ali (Faisalabad), an LeT operative who allegedly spent PKR 70,000 to set up VOIP connections that enabled the attackers to communicate with their handlers; Mohammad Zia (Rawalpindi), who contributed PKR 80,000 to LeT for the attack; Mohammad Abbas Nasir (Khanewal), who provided PKR 2,53,000; Javed Iqbal (Kasur), who contributed PKR 1,86,430; Mukhtar Ahmad (Mandi Bahauddin), who donated PKR 2,98,047; and Ahmed Saeed (Battagram), who provided PKR 21 lakh for the operation.

Masood Azhar is among India’s most-wanted terrorists and has been linked to several major attacks, including the 2001 Parliament attack, the 2008 Mumbai attacks, the 2016 Pathankot attack and the 2019 Pulwama attack.

The Jaish-e-Mohammed chief, who has also been designated a global terrorist by the United Nations, was released by India in 1999 in exchange for passengers held hostage during the IC-814 hijacking.

India has repeatedly accused Pakistan of “feigning ignorance” about the presence of Azhar and Lashkar-e-Taiba chief Hafiz Saeed in the country.

Also Read | Masood Azhar's Dark Secret Finally Out; Pak Terror Kingpin CRIES As He Reveals What Brought Him To His Knees...

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