India has criticized Pakistan's offer of a bounty for Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) chief Masood Azhar as a 'gimmick', accusing Islamabad of failing to take meaningful action against the sanctioned terrorist. The external affairs ministry spokesperson, Randhir Jaiswal, stated during a media briefing that such 'phoney announcements' are not new and have been used by Pakistan in the past. The MEA emphasized that Pakistan must take concrete steps against terrorists based on its soil rather than making hollow announcements.

Pakistan has maintained a bounty of Pakistani ₹7 million for Azhar for several years, and he is wanted by India for several terror attacks, including the 2001 Parliament strike, the 2016 Pathankot airbase assault, and the 2019 Pulwama bombing. Azhar was freed by India along with two other terrorists in exchange for the passengers on flight IC 814 that was hijacked from Kathmandu to Kandahar in December 1999. He is also listed among the most-wanted terrorists in the 'Red Book' of Pakistan’s Federal Investigation Agency’s (FIA).

While Pakistani authorities have claimed they are unaware of Azhar’s whereabouts and that he has fled to Afghanistan, New Delhi has accused Islamabad of sheltering the JeM chief. Several of Azhar’s relatives were killed during an Indian strike on the JeM’s main base at Bahawalpur in May 2025 in retaliation for the Pahalgam terror attack. The Taliban regime too has rejected Pakistan’s claim that Azhar is in Afghanistan.

Pakistan’s reiteration of the reward for information on Azhar came in the face of pressure from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) to crack down on terror groups and their leaders. The global watchdog is set to review Pakistan’s anti-terrorism efforts at a plenary meeting next month. Pakistan was placed on the FATF’s 'grey list' of countries subject to enhanced monitoring during 2018-2022 for its failure to counter terror financing, particularly by JeM and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). The pressure from FATF and Western countries forced Pakistan to take several steps against leaders of both terror groups.

Azhar was designated as a global terrorist by the UN Security Council in May 2019 after China removed a block to his listing. The MEA’s criticism highlights the ongoing tensions between India and Pakistan over the issue of cross-border terrorism and the lack of cooperation in tracking down and prosecuting terrorist leaders. The situation remains unresolved, with no clear evidence of Azhar’s current location or Pakistan’s willingness to take decisive action against him.

The lack of a clear response from Pakistan or any other party regarding the bounty announcement leaves the issue in limbo. While the MEA has made its stance clear, the absence of a direct rebuttal from Islamabad or the Taliban means the debate continues without resolution. The international community, particularly the FATF, continues to monitor Pakistan’s progress in combating terrorism, which remains a critical factor in the region’s security landscape.