Pakistan Lists Masood Azhar as Fugitive, Raises Bounty as Jaish Base Rebuilt

Pakistan has increased the bounty on Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar to PKR 70 lakh and included him in the Federal Investigation Agency’s latest Red Book of most-wanted terrorists, bringing renewed attention to the long-running mystery surrounding his whereabouts. The move comes ahead of the Financial Action Task Force’s next plenary in Paris from October 26 to 30.

The FIA had announced a reward of PKR 50 lakh for information leading to Azhar’s arrest in 2021. The latest increase comes five years later, with Pakistani authorities continuing to maintain that the JeM founder is not in the country. Pakistan has previously claimed that Azhar left for Afghanistan, while Indian intelligence sources have put forward a different assessment, saying he could still be hiding inside Pakistan. India Today reported that intelligence agencies have assessed that Azhar may be in Nawabshah in Sindh, although his location has not been independently established publicly.

The timing of the announcement has also drawn attention because of the upcoming FATF meeting. Pakistan was placed under increased monitoring by the international watchdog from 2018 until 2022, and its latest decision to raise the reward for a UN-designated terrorist comes amid renewed scrutiny of the country’s action against militant networks. Indian officials have argued that such listings need to be accompanied by verifiable enforcement measures. Those assessments reflect the Indian government’s position.

The development surrounding Azhar comes at the same time as fresh reports about the reconstruction of the Jaish-e-Mohammed’s Markaz Subhanallah complex in Bahawalpur. The facility was targeted during India’s Operation Sindoor in May 2025, and Indian authorities had described it as an important centre for JeM’s training, indoctrination and operational activities. Recent reports say substantial reconstruction work has since taken place at the site.

The rebuilding has added to questions about the continued presence and organisational infrastructure of Jaish-e-Mohammed. The group has long been associated with attacks against India, while Azhar himself has been wanted by Indian authorities in connection with several terror cases. The United Nations designated Jaish-e-Mohammed under its sanctions regime in 2001 and listed Masood Azhar individually in 2019. Pakistan’s latest Red Book contains 1,804 names, compared with 1,330 in the 2021 edition, according to India Today. The updated list also includes individuals accused of involvement in the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks.

The discrepancy between the headline figure and official reporting is also worth noting. An NDTV opinion article published on September 16 referred to a PKR 75 lakh bounty, while multiple reports on the FIA’s latest Red Book put the figure at PKR 70 lakh. The PKR 70 lakh figure is therefore the one supported by the more direct reporting on the FIA announcement.

Masood Azhar’s whereabouts remain publicly unresolved. Pakistan says he is no longer on its soil, while Indian intelligence assessments have disputed that claim. With the FIA’s updated wanted list, the higher bounty and reports of the rebuilding of JeM’s Bahawalpur complex arriving together, the issue is likely to remain under close scrutiny ahead of the October FATF meeting.