# India calls Pakistan’s bounty hike on Masood Azhar a gimmick

2026-09-16T03:13:11+00:00 | Governance | Indian Opinion Desk

Corroboration: 3 independent outlets

India dismissed Pakistan's increased bounty on UN-proscribed Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar as "gimmicks and hoodwinking". External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said Islamabad must take "concrete action" against terrorism instead of making phoney announcements. The bounty was raised from PKR 50 lakh to PKR 70 lakh in the Federal Investigation Agency's Red Book. The move comes ahead of the FATF plenary in October, as Pakistan seeks to avoid being placed back on the grey list. India has long accused Pakistan of sheltering Azhar, who is wanted for multiple terror attacks including the 2001 Parliament strike, 2008 Mumbai attacks, 2016 Pathankot assault, and 2019 Pulwama bombing. Azhar was designated a global terrorist by the UN Security Council in 2019. Pakistan claims Azhar fled to Afghanistan, a claim the Taliban government has denied. Indian intelligence agencies maintain he is hiding in Pakistan's Sindh province.

## Indian Opinion Analysis

India's sharp dismissal of Pakistan's bounty hike is the unanimous lead across all three outlets, but the framing diverges on motive. The Times of India and The Republic World both foreground the FATF review as context, with Republic World explicitly calling it an 'eyewash ahead of FATF meet'. The Hindu provides deeper historical FATF detail and notes Pakistan's backsliding. What the pro-government framing omits is the full sequence of Pakistan's denials about Azhar's whereabouts. The critical framing's omission is that Pakistan has in fact convicted Azhar in absentia. The balanced reading: the bounty hike is theatrically timed, but India's demand for concrete action has been consistent for decades.

## Coverage

- timesofindia.indiatimes.com (government critical) <https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/pak-raising-azhar-bounty-a-gimmick-says-india/articleshow/134273152.cms>
  Leads with the FATF plenary context and frames the bounty as a Pakistani attempt to avoid grey-listing
- thehindu.com (government critical) <https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/gimmicks-india-on-pakistans-fresh-announcement-on-masood-azhar-bounty/article71470890.ece>
  Provides the most detailed FATF background and tracks Pakistan's backsliding from commitments
- republicworld.com (pro government) <https://www.republicworld.com/india/india-rejects-pakistan-s-rs-7-million-reward-for-jem-terrorist-masood-azhar-as-eyewash-ahead-of-fatf-meet-2026-09-16-137058>
  Leads with 'eyewash ahead of FATF meet' and adds Indian intelligence claim that Azhar is in Pakistan's Sindh province

Tags: External Affairs Ministry, FATF, India, Jaish-e-Mohammed, Masood Azhar, Pakistan
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