India calls Pakistan's Masood Azhar bounty hike a 'gimmick', urges real action
Synopsis
Pakistan raised the bounty on JeM chief Masood Azhar to PKR 70 lakh and claimed he is in Afghanistan — but India's MEA called it a 'gimmick', analysts say it is timed to deceive FATF ahead of its October Paris review, and even the Afghan Taliban has rejected the Pakistan claim.
Key Takeaways
MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal called Pakistan's bounty hike on Masood Azhar a 'phoney announcement' and a 'gimmick' on 15 September 2026 .
Pakistan's FIA announced a new bounty of PKR 70 lakh on Azhar, claiming he is hiding in Afghanistan .
A similar bounty of PKR 50 lakh was announced in 2021 with no material outcome for Azhar or JeM.
Indian intelligence officials and the Afghan Taliban have both rejected Pakistan's claim that Azhar is in Afghanistan.
The move is widely seen as timed to create an impression of action ahead of FATF meetings in Paris from 26–30 October .
JeM, under Azhar's oversight, has shifted to hybrid warfare and proxy fronts like PAFF , which has attacked Indian forces in Poonch and Rajouri .
India on Tuesday, 15 September 2026, sharply rejected Pakistan's decision to raise the bounty on Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) chief Masood Azhar, with the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) dismissing it as a 'phoney announcement' designed to hoodwink the international community rather than reflect genuine counterterrorism intent.
What India Said
Addressing the bi-weekly media briefing in New Delhi, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal urged Islamabad to translate words into action. 'All that I would say is that such gimmicks and hoodwinking by Pakistan is not new. We have seen such gimmicks in the past as well. For a state sponsor of terror to make a phoney announcement — we all know how hollow it is. They must take action and not make phoney announcements, which is of no consequence,' Jaiswal said in response to a question.
The Bounty Announcement and Pakistan's Claim
Pakistan's Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) announced a fresh bounty of PKR 70 lakh on Azhar, claiming the JeM chief is hiding in Afghanistan — a position that intelligence agencies and global observers widely regard as an attempt to deflect scrutiny by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF). This is not the first such move: in 2021, the FIA announced a bounty of PKR 50 lakh on Azhar under similar circumstances, with Pakistan then too denying he was on its soil. Notably, that announcement produced no material change in the status of either Azhar or JeM.
Why Observers Are Sceptical
Indian intelligence officials have repeatedly asserted that Azhar remains inside Pakistan. The Afghan Taliban has also rejected Islamabad's claims that he is on Afghan soil. Security analysts argue that the timing of the bounty hike is telling: FATF meetings are scheduled between 26 and 30 October in Paris, and the move is seen as an effort to present a facade of compliance ahead of that review. Experts note that Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) would be unlikely to risk relocating Azhar to Afghanistan given the severely deteriorated state of Pakistan-Afghanistan relations.
Azhar's Record and JeM's Evolving Tactics
Azhar is widely regarded as the mastermind behind several major terror strikes on Indian soil, most notably the 2019 Pulwama attack. The FIA's updated 'Red Book' also lists 19 other terrorists linked to the 26/11 Mumbai attacks. Under Azhar's continued oversight, JeM has adapted its operational methods in Jammu and Kashmir, shifting towards hybrid warfare and deploying proxy fronts. One such outfit, the People's Anti Fascist Front (PAFF), has claimed responsibility for deadly ambushes on Indian security forces in the forested districts of Poonch and Rajouri.
What Comes Next
With the FATF review in Paris now weeks away, the pressure on Pakistan to demonstrate credible action against terror financing and militant networks will intensify. India's blunt rejection of the bounty announcement signals that New Delhi will continue pressing for substantive measures rather than accepting symbolic gestures as evidence of compliance. The international community's response ahead of the October FATF session will be closely watched.
Point of View
Claim the target is abroad, and wait for the pressure to pass. The 2021 PKR 50 lakh bounty on Azhar produced no arrests and no change in JeM's operational capacity — if anything, the outfit evolved. India's 'gimmick' rebuttal is diplomatically blunt but accurate in substance. The deeper question is whether FATF — and its member states — will continue to accept performative gestures as compliance, or finally demand verifiable outcomes. Islamabad's credibility deficit on this file is decades old; the burden of proof must now rest entirely with Pakistan.
NationPress
15 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did India reject Pakistan's bounty announcement on Masood Azhar?
India's MEA called the PKR 70 lakh bounty a 'phoney announcement' and a 'gimmick', arguing that a state sponsor of terror making such declarations without taking real action has no credibility. Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal urged Pakistan to act rather than issue hollow statements.
How much bounty has Pakistan announced on Masood Azhar, and is this the first time?
Pakistan's FIA announced a fresh bounty of PKR 70 lakh on Azhar in September 2026. This follows an earlier bounty of PKR 50 lakh announced in 2021, which produced no action against Azhar or JeM.
Where does Pakistan claim Masood Azhar is hiding?
Pakistan's FIA claims Azhar is hiding in Afghanistan, not on Pakistani soil. Both Indian intelligence officials and the Afghan Taliban have rejected this claim, with India insisting Azhar remains inside Pakistan.
What is the connection between this bounty announcement and the FATF review?
Analysts believe the bounty hike is timed to create an impression of counterterrorism action ahead of FATF meetings scheduled from 26 to 30 October 2026 in Paris. Pakistan remains under international scrutiny over terror financing and militant group activity.
What is Masood Azhar's role and how has JeM evolved under him?
Masood Azhar is the founder and chief of Jaish-e-Mohammed and is widely considered the mastermind of major terror attacks in India, including the 2019 Pulwama attack. Under his oversight, JeM has shifted to hybrid warfare in Jammu and Kashmir and operates through proxy fronts like the People's Anti Fascist Front (PAFF), which has claimed deadly ambushes in Poonch and Rajouri.
