According to News24, the Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has dismissed recent reports regarding a bounty placed on Masood Azhar by Pakistan as a 'fake announcement.' MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal addressed the matter during a press briefing, characterizing the reported bounty of PKR 70 lakh as unsubstantiated and urging Islamabad to move beyond such claims.
Masood Azhar, the founder of the militant group Jaish-e-Mohammed, remains one of India’s most-wanted individuals and is a designated terrorist under United Nations Security Council resolutions. India has long maintained that Pakistan provides safe haven to such figures and has consistently called for verifiable, concrete action against those responsible for cross-border terrorism rather than symbolic gestures.
The Indian government’s dismissal of the bounty highlights the ongoing diplomatic friction between New Delhi and Islamabad regarding the prosecution of individuals involved in anti-India activities. The MEA reiterated its stance that Pakistan must demonstrate a genuine commitment to dismantling terror infrastructure on its soil to foster any meaningful progress in bilateral relations.
As of now, there has been no official confirmation from Pakistani authorities regarding the alleged bounty, leading Indian officials to treat the reports as part of a broader pattern of misinformation. The situation underscores the persistent challenges in regional security and the lack of consensus between the two nations on addressing the presence of UN-designated terrorists within Pakistan's borders.
The story reports on a specific diplomatic statement made by the Indian Ministry of External Affairs regarding a claim about Masood Azhar. As this is a report on an official government spokesperson's remarks, it is treated as credible single-source reporting.
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Original report: News24