New Delhi, September 15, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Pakistan’s Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has announced a fresh bounty of PKR 70 lakh on Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) chief Masood Azhar while claiming that the designated terrorist is hiding in Afghanistan. Indian intelligence officials, however, maintain that Azhar remains in Pakistan and allege that Islamabad’s latest move is aimed at deflecting international scrutiny, including from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF).
The FIA’s claim that Azhar is in Afghanistan has also reportedly been rejected by the Afghan Taliban. Indian security officials, meanwhile, say intelligence tracking places the JeM chief inside Pakistan.
An Intelligence Bureau official claimed that Azhar was in Bahawalpur during Operation Sindoor but was not at the JeM headquarters targeted during the operation. According to the official, he was subsequently moved to the Combined Military Hospital in Rawalpindi, where he has reportedly been receiving treatment for chronic renal failure.
Officials said Azhar has been shifted between several locations in Pakistan since the operation and has not returned to Bahawalpur. They claimed he has been moved between at least three or four locations for security reasons.
According to another official, Indian intelligence tracking has also indicated that Azhar is frequently housed at a facility in Nawabshah city in Sindh. He is also believed to have a safe house in Skardu in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).
Officials said security concerns, along with pressure linked to FATF scrutiny, have contributed to the frequent movement of the JeM chief. They also alleged that Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) continues to protect Azhar because of his influence within JeM, which has been seeking to rebuild its network.
Azhar has reportedly continued to issue audio messages encouraging cadres and potential recruits to remain committed to the fight against Indian security forces in Jammu and Kashmir. Officials, however, claimed that he has recently been advised to reduce such public messaging.
The officials also ruled out the possibility of Azhar being shifted to Afghanistan, citing strained relations between Pakistan and the Taliban.
Meanwhile, security agencies are monitoring changes in militant recruitment patterns in Pakistan. Officials said recruitment activity in PoK has been reduced amid ongoing protests in the region, with greater focus allegedly being placed on other parts of Pakistan to recruit young people for groups including JeM and Lashkar-e-Taiba.
The latest FIA announcement is not the first bounty placed on Azhar. In 2021, Pakistan announced a PKR 50 lakh bounty while maintaining that he was not in the country. According to security officials, the move did not lead to any significant change in Azhar’s activities or JeM’s operations.
Officials said JeM has also adapted its operational methods in Jammu and Kashmir, including the use of hybrid warfare and proxy organisations. They alleged that the group operated through fronts such as the People’s Anti-Fascist Front (PAFF), which has claimed responsibility for attacks on security forces in the Poonch and Rajouri areas.
Pakistan observers cited in the report believe the latest bounty could be intended to project action against Azhar ahead of the next FATF review. FATF meetings are scheduled to be held in Paris from October 26 to 30.
According to officials, Islamabad’s objective is to maintain the impression that Azhar is outside Pakistan while keeping him away from international scrutiny during the period.
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