Pakistan’s 2026 most-wanted list includes Masood Azhar, with authorities offering PKR 70 lakh for information that leads to his capture.
Published: September 15, 2026, 5:57 PM IST
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Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar has been included in Pakistan’s Federal Investigation Agency’s 2026 list of most-wanted terroristsFile Image
India on Tuesday called Pakistan’s decision to raise the bounty on Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) chief Masood Azhar a ‘gimmick’ and a ‘phoney announcement’New Delhi urged Islamabad to back its words with ‘concrete action’ rather than make ‘hollow’ announcements.
Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar has been included in Pakistan’s Federal Investigation Agency’s 2026 list of most-wanted terroristsThe FIA has also increased the reward for information leading to his arrest from PKR 20 lakh to PKR 70 lakh.
India slams Pakistan’s bounty
MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, speaking at a press briefing, called the announcement “aankh mein dhool jhokne wali harkat” (an attempt to deceive)“Such gimmicks and attempts at hoodwinking people by Pakistan are nothing newWe have seen similar gimmicks in the past as well,” he said.
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He added, “For a state sponsor of terrorism to make such phoney announcements, we all know how hollow they arePakistan must take concrete action rather than make announcements that are ultimately of no consequence.”
Masood Azhar named in Pakistan’s most-wanted terrorists list
Pakistan has maintained since 2021 that Azhar is no longer in the country and had fled to AfghanistanThat year, the FIA had offered a PKR 50 lakh reward for information leading to his arrest.
The move to include Azhar on the list comes ahead of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) plenary scheduled for October, as Pakistan seeks to prevent its return to the grey listNotably, FATF is the global body that sets standards to combat money laundering and terrorist financing.
The FIA’s latest Red Book also includes 19 terrorists linked to the 26/11 Mumbai attacksThey have been accused of supporting the attackers by providing funds, helping with logistics and arranging boats used by the operatives.
Who is Masood Azhar?
Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar is one of 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.
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The JeM chief has also been designated a global terrorist by the United NationsAzhar was imprisoned in India in 1994, but was released in December 1999 along with two other jailed militants in exchange for the passengers of hijacked Indian Airlines Flight IC-814.
Following his release, he founded Jaish-e-Mohammed in 1999-2000.
