The New Indian Express ·
Pakistan declares Masood Azhar fugitive ahead of FATF meet, hikes reward to PKR 70 Lakh
NEW DELHI: Pakistan’s Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has named Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) Chief Masood Azhar in its 2026 list of most-wanted terrorists and increased the reward for information leading to his arrest from Pakistan Rupee (PKR) 50 lakh to PKR 70 lakh.
The move comes ahead of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) plenary scheduled for October, with Pakistan seeking to avoid being placed back on the global watchdog’s grey list. The FATF sets international standards to combat money laundering and terrorist financing.
Since 2021, Pakistan has maintained that Azhar is no longer in the country and had fled to Afghanistan. Now five years later, the agency has raised the amount to PKR 70 lakh.
