New Delhi: Pakistan has raised the reward for information leading to the arrest of Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) chief Masood Azhar to PKR 70 lakh, placing the fugitive militant leader in its newly released Red Book of most wanted terrorists, sources told ANI.

The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has categorised Azhar as a fugitive and increased the bounty on him by PKR 20 lakh. The agency had initially announced a reward of PKR 50 lakh for information on Azhar in 2021.

The move comes ahead of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) plenary scheduled for October, at a time when Pakistan is seeking to avoid being placed back on the global terror-financing watchdog's gray list, sources said.

According to sources, Pakistan had claimed in 2021 that Azhar was no longer in the country and had fled to Afghanistan. The increased bounty, announced five years after the original reward, is being viewed against the backdrop of Pakistan's efforts to demonstrate action against wanted terrorists and address international scrutiny over terror financing.

Who is Masood Azhar?

Masood Azhar is the founder and chief of Jaish-e-Mohammed, a Pakistan-based Islamist militant organisation that has targeted India. He was designated a global terrorist by the United Nations in May 2019. India had also designated him a terrorist under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act in 2019.

Azhar came to prominence after his release from prison in December 1999 as part of a hostage deal following the hijacking of Indian Airlines flight IC-814. The aircraft, carrying 155 passengers and crew, was hijacked and eventually taken to Kandahar in Afghanistan. India released three jailed militants, including Azhar, in exchange for the hostages.

After his release, Azhar founded Jaish-e-Mohammed in 2000. The organisation has since been designated as a terrorist group by the United Nations and several countries. Australian government records describe JeM as a Pakistan-based extremist organisation that has operated primarily against Indian security forces in Jammu and Kashmir.

Azhar and JeM have been associated with some of the most significant terror attacks targeting India. The group has been linked to the 2001 Parliament attack and the 2019 Pulwama suicide bombing, in which 40 CRPF personnel were killed.

The United Nations designated Azhar as a global terrorist in May 2019 following years of efforts to have him placed on its sanctions list.