# India rejects Pakistan’s Masood Azhar bounty as ‘gimmicks’

2026-09-15T15:51:25+00:00 | Governance | Indian Opinion Desk

Corroboration: 4 independent outlets

India on Tuesday dismissed as 'gimmicks' Pakistan's fresh announcement of a Rs 70 lakh bounty on Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar, demanding concrete action against terrorism. External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said such 'phoney announcements' from a 'state sponsor of terrorism' were of no consequence. Pakistan's Federal Investigation Agency raised the reward in its latest Red Book of most-wanted terrorists, which now lists 1,804 fugitives. The announcement comes ahead of a Financial Action Task Force plenary in October that will review Pakistan's anti-terrorism efforts. Pakistan has claimed Azhar fled to Afghanistan, a claim the Taliban government has rejected. India has long accused Pakistan of sheltering Azhar, who is wanted for attacks including the 2001 Parliament strike, the 2008 Mumbai attacks, the 2016 Pathankot assault and the 2019 Pulwama bombing.

## Indian Opinion Analysis

All five sources report India's dismissal of the bounty as a gimmick, quoting the MEA spokesperson. ThePrint, Economic Times, and Rediff add context on FATF pressure and Pakistan's grey-list history, while Times Now leads with the timing 'just weeks before' the October plenary. ThePrint notes the Red Book has grown 36 percent since 2021, implying Pakistan's anti-terror actions are limited to list-making. None of the sources present Pakistan's perspective, making the coverage uniformly critical of Islamabad. The FATF review will test whether Pakistan's announcement translates into operational follow-through. The FATF plenary in October will determine whether Pakistan's latest action is seen as substantive progress.

## Coverage

- theprint.in (neutral report) <https://theprint.in/india/gimmicks-india-on-pakistans-fresh-announcement-on-masood-azhar-bounty/3043479/>
  PTI-based report with factual additions on Red Book
- theprint.in (neutral report) <https://theprint.in/diplomacy/phony-gimmick-of-no-consequence-mea-on-pakistans-bounty-on-masood-azhar-ahead-of-fatf-review/3043389/>
  PTI-based report with factual additions on Red Book
- economictimes.indiatimes.com (neutral report) <https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/india/masood-azhar-bounty-india-calls-pakistans-rs-7-million-reward-a-gimmick-asks-islamabad-to-take-concrete-action-not-make-phoney-announcements/articleshow/134264208.cms>
  ET Online summary of PTI and MEA briefing
- timesnownews.com (sensationalist) <https://www.timesnownews.com/india/india-dismisses-pakistans-bounty-hike-on-masood-azhar-as-gimmicks-article-156162596>
  Leads with 'timing raises eyebrows' speculation
- rediff.com (neutral report) <https://www.rediff.com/news/report/such-gimmicks-by-pak-nothing-new-india-rejects-masood-azhar-bounty/20260916.htm>
  Rediff runs PTI copy with key points summary

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