India on Tuesday dismissed Pakistan’s decision to increase the reward for information leading to the arrest of Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) chief Masood Azhar, calling the move a “gimmick” and a “phoney announcement”. The Ministry of External Affairs said Islamabad needed to take concrete action against terrorism rather than issue announcements that India described as lacking credibility.

MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal made the remarks during the ministry’s regular media briefing while responding to a question about Pakistan’s latest action against Azhar. “Such gimmicks and hoodwinking by Pakistan is not new. We have seen such gimmicks in the past as well,” Jaiswal said. He added that for a “state sponsor of terror” to make such an announcement was “phoney” and would have little consequence.

Pakistan’s Federal Investigation Agency has listed Azhar as a fugitive in its 2026 Red Book of high-profile most wanted terrorists and reportedly increased the reward for information leading to his capture by PKR 20 lakh, taking it to PKR 70 lakh, or around Rs 24 lakh. The FIA had first announced a reward for information on Azhar in 2021. The development comes ahead of the Financial Action Task Force’s plenary meeting scheduled for October.

Also Read: Pakistan Puts Masood Azhar On Most-Wanted List, Raises Bounty Before FATF Review Begins

Azhar was designated a global terrorist by the United Nations Security Council in May 2019 after China withdrew a technical hold that had prevented his designation for years. The United States has also announced a $10 million reward for information leading to his capture. Pakistan was removed from the FATF grey list in October 2022, but Islamabad has continued to face international scrutiny over its actions against UN-designated terrorists and terror financing.

Where Is Masood Azhar?

Azhar’s whereabouts remain disputed. Pakistan has maintained since 2021 that he is not in the country and has claimed that he crossed into Afghanistan, a position rejected by India. His name has remained closely associated with JeM, an organisation that India has linked to several major terror attacks, including the 2001 Parliament attack, the 2016 Pathankot air base attack and the 2019 Pulwama bombing.

Azhar was released from an Indian jail in December 1999 in exchange for passengers and crew members of Indian Airlines flight IC-814, which had been hijacked from Kathmandu and taken to Kandahar in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan. He founded Jaish-e-Mohammed the following year. In May 2025, Indian armed forces said the JeM’s Markaz Subhanallah facility in Bahawalpur was among the sites targeted during Operation Sindoor, launched following the Pahalgam terror attack. Azhar later claimed that members of his family and close associates were killed in the strike.

Also Read: Taliban Rejects Pakistan’s Assertion That Jaish Chief Masood Azhar Is In Afghanistan