NEW DELHI: Pakistan’s Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has named Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) Chief Masood Azhar in its 2026 list of most-wanted terrorists and increased the reward for information leading to his arrest from Pakistan Rupee (PKR) 50 lakh to PKR 70 lakh.
The move comes ahead of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) plenary scheduled for October, with Pakistan seeking to avoid being placed back on the global watchdog’s grey list. The FATF sets international standards to combat money laundering and terrorist financing.
Since 2021, Pakistan has maintained that Azhar is no longer in the country and had fled to Afghanistan. Now five years later, the agency has raised the amount to PKR 70 lakh.
However, sources said that technical analysis conducted by Indian intelligence agencies over the past six months had revealed that Azhar is actively hiding in Nawabshah city within Pakistan’s Sindh province.
The FIA’s latest Red Book also lists 19 terrorists allegedly linked to the November 2008 Mumbai attacks. They are accused of providing financial support, logistical assistance and help in arranging the boats used by the attackers.
Eleven Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) operatives named in the list allegedly helped facilitate the sea journey undertaken by the attackers aboard the boats Al-Hussaini and Al-Fauz. They include Muhammad Amjad Khan of Multan, Shahid Gafoor of Bahawalpur, Mohammad Usman of Sahiwal, Ateeq-ur-Rehman of Lahore, Riaz Ahmad of Hafizabad, Muhammad Mushtaq of Gujranwala, Muhammad Naeem of Dera Ghazi Khan, Abdul Shakoor of Karachi, Muhammad Sabir Salfi of Multan, Muhammad Usman of Lodhran and Shakeel Ahmed of Rahim Yar Khan.
Six others are accused of financing the operation. According to the FIA, Muhammad Iftikhar Ali allegedly spent PKR 70,000 to establish VOIP connections used by the attackers to communicate with their handlers. Mohammad Zia allegedly provided PKR 80,000; Mohammad Abbas Nasir PKR 2,53,000; Javed Iqbal PKR 1,86,430; Mukhtar Ahmad PKR 2,98,047; and Ahmed Saeed PKR 21 lakh.
The overall number of most-wanted terrorists on the FIA’s list has risen sharply over five years, from 1,330 in the 2021 Red Book to 1,804 in the latest edition, which is a 35 per cent increase.
Azhar’s organisation was also targeted during India’s Operation Sindoor following the Pahalgam terror attack in April 2025. The Indian armed forces had then said precision strikes destroyed JeM’s Markaz Subhanallah in Bahawalpur, around 100 km inside Pakistan.
According to Indian intelligence officials, the facility, which has been operational since 2015, served as JeM’s main centre for training and indoctrination and as its operational headquarters. It has been linked to planning for terrorist attacks, including the February 14, 2019, Pulwama attack.
The sprawling complex reportedly housed residences used by Azhar, the group’s de facto chief Mufti Abdul Rauf Asghar, Maulana Ammar and other Azhar family members.
Azhar has delivered several addresses from the facility, in which he promoted anti-India rhetoric and called on young people to join jihad. The centre was also used for regular weapons, physical and religious training of JeM cadres.
