Pakistan Raises Cash Prize for Masood Azhar, India Dismisses It as Political Stunt

Islamabad’s Federal Investigation Agency declared a fresh reward of 7 million Pakistani rupees for any information leading to the arrest of Masood Azhar, stating that intelligence points to his presence in Afghanistan. India called the declaration a “false move” and warned that it would not deter its own security operations.

Security experts note that Azhar’s organization, Jaish‑e‑Mohammad, has shifted towards hybrid warfare tactics and uses proxy fronts such as the People’s Anti‑Fascist Front (PAFF) to evade FATF monitoring. The increased bounty, they argue, is intended more to create a narrative of cooperation than to produce actionable leads.