New Delhi: Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) chief Masood Azhar remains in Pakistan and has been moved between multiple locations for security reasons, according to Indian intelligence officials, directly challenging Pakistan’s claim that the wanted terrorist is hiding in Afghanistan.

The assessment comes after Pakistan’s Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) announced a fresh bounty of PKR 70 lakh for information leading to Azhar’s capture. While the FIA says the JeM founder is in Afghanistan, Indian intelligence officials maintain that their tracking shows he continues to operate from within Pakistan.

An Intelligence Bureau official told IANS that Azhar was in Bahawalpur during Operation Sindoor, but was not present at the JeM headquarters that was targeted during the operation. According to the official, Azhar was subsequently moved to the Combined Military Hospital in Rawalpindi, where he has been receiving treatment for chronic renal failure.

The official said Azhar has since been shifted between several locations in Pakistan and has not returned to Bahawalpur following Operation Sindoor.

“He is never kept in one place for long due to security reasons,” another official said, adding that Azhar suffered minor injuries in what was described as a mysterious explosion while he was at the Rawalpindi hospital.

India tracks Azhar between Nawabshah and Rawalpindi

Indian intelligence assessments indicate that Azhar is frequently housed at a facility in Nawabshah city in Sindh province, officials said. He is also believed to have a safe house in Skardu in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).

According to the officials, his movements have also been influenced by the security situation in PoK, where protests have been reported.

The intelligence assessment is that the Pakistan-based system supporting militant recruitment has shifted its focus away from PoK for now, with recruitment efforts instead directed towards other parts of Pakistan for groups including JeM and Lashkar-e-Taiba.

Officials said this has also contributed to Azhar being moved away from PoK, with his movements currently centred around Nawabshah and Rawalpindi.

Why Pakistan says Masood Azhar is in Afghanistan

Pakistan has repeatedly maintained that Azhar is not on its territory. The FIA’s latest bounty announcement again places him in Afghanistan.

The claim, however, has been rejected by the Afghan Taliban, according to the information provided by Indian officials and Pakistan observers.

Indian officials argue that moving Azhar into Afghanistan would also be difficult given the deterioration in relations between Islamabad and the Taliban.

“Moreover, with tensions so high with the Taliban, the possibility of Pakistan moving him to Afghanistan is impossible,” officials said.

Pakistan observers quoted in the report believe the latest bounty announcement is intended to demonstrate that Islamabad is taking action against Azhar at a time when Pakistan continues to face scrutiny over terror financing and militant groups.

They argue that publicly claiming Azhar is outside Pakistan could also help Islamabad distance itself from the JeM chief ahead of upcoming Financial Action Task Force (FATF) meetings.

Fresh bounty follows an earlier PKR 50 lakh reward

The latest FIA announcement is not the first time Pakistan has placed a bounty on Azhar.

In 2021, the agency announced a reward of PKR 50 lakh for information on the JeM chief. Pakistan had also maintained at the time that Azhar was not present on its soil.

According to the officials and observers cited in the report, the earlier bounty did not result in any major change in the activities of Azhar or JeM.

The latest increase takes the reward to PKR 70 lakh, but Indian intelligence officials say Azhar remains under protection inside Pakistan.

JeM chief continues to influence militant operations

Azhar remains an important figure for JeM, which has adapted its activities in Jammu and Kashmir, including the use of hybrid warfare and proxy organisations, according to Indian officials.

One such group cited is the People’s Anti-Fascist Front (PAFF), which has claimed responsibility for attacks on Indian security forces in the forested areas of Poonch and Rajouri.

Officials also said Azhar has continued to release audio messages aimed at encouraging JeM cadres and potential recruits to fight Indian security forces in Jammu and Kashmir.

However, according to the intelligence assessment, the ISI has recently asked Azhar to reduce such public messaging.

The reason, officials said, is to keep him protected and limit attention on his continued presence in Pakistan.

FATF scrutiny adds pressure on Islamabad

The latest developments come ahead of FATF meetings scheduled to be held in Paris from October 26 to 30.

Indian officials and Pakistan observers believe Islamabad wants to project Azhar as someone who is outside the country while avoiding renewed international scrutiny over Pakistan’s links to militant organisations.

For India, however, the intelligence assessment remains that Azhar is inside Pakistan and is being moved between safe locations.

With IANS inputs