India has strongly criticised Pakistan over its decision to increase the reward for information leading to the capture of Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) chief Masood Azhar to 70 lakh Pakistani rupees, calling the announcement a political “gimmick” rather than meaningful action against terrorism.
Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal responded to the development during a media briefing in New Delhi on Tuesday.
Editorial Insight
Key Highlights
Important points readers should notice.
Issue/Event: India rejects Pakistan's increased reward for information on Masood Azhar
Location: New Delhi & Pakistan
Authority/Organisation: Ministry of External Affairs; Pakistan Federal Investigation Agency
Action Taken: Pakistan raised the reward to PKR 70 lakh and listed Azhar in its latest Red Book
Impact: India has questioned the credibility of the move and demanded concrete action against terrorism
Jaiswal said such announcements by Pakistan were not new and accused Islamabad of attempting to “hoodwink” people through measures that, according to India, have little practical consequence.
“Pakistan must take concrete action,” Jaiswal said, arguing that announcements alone would not demonstrate a genuine effort to deal with terror-related concerns.
Pakistan's Federal Investigation Agency has included Masood Azhar in its latest Red Book of most-wanted terrorists and increased the reward for information leading to his capture by PKR 20 lakh. The reward had previously stood at PKR 50 lakh after being announced in 2021.
Editorial Analysis
Why This Matters
Why It Matters The development comes against the backdrop of long-standing India-Pakistan tensions over terrorism and cross-border militant networks. India's response indicates that New Delhi is not viewing the increased bounty alone as sufficient evidence of meaningful action against JeM leadership. The timing ahead of the FATF plenary could also bring greater international scrutiny to Pakistan's counter-terrorism measures.
The timing of the move has also attracted attention because it comes ahead of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) plenary in October. Indian sources have questioned whether the move is intended to demonstrate counter-terrorism action ahead of increased international scrutiny.
India, however, has maintained that Pakistan needs to demonstrate concrete action rather than relying on public announcements.
The issue adds another point of tension to already strained India-Pakistan relations, particularly over terrorism and the activities of Pakistan-based militant groups.
