New Delhi, Dec 6 (PTI) — India on Friday urged Pakistan to take decisive action against Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) chief Masood Azhar, following reports that he recently addressed a public gathering in Bahawalpur, Pakistan.
PTI
New Delhi stated that if these reports about Azhar's presence in Pakistan are accurate, they expose Pakistan's "duplicity," as the country has consistently claimed that the JeM leader is not within its borders.
Azhar, widely regarded as the mastermind behind the 2019 Pulwama terror attack, was designated a global terrorist by the UN Security Council in the same year.
"He is a UN-designated terrorist. We demand that strong action be taken against him, that he is brought to justice," Randhir Jaiswal, the Spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), stated during his weekly media briefing.
He made these comments in response to questions about reports claiming Azhar gave a speech at a public event in Bahawalpur last month.
Jaiswal also challenged Pakistan's ongoing stance that Azhar is not present in the country.
"There has been denial that he is not there in Pakistan. If the reports (of his location) are correct then it exposes the duplicity of Pakistan," he said.
"Masood Azhar is involved in cross-border terror attacks against India and we want that strong action be taken against him," Jaiswal added.
In 2022, then-Pakistani Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto reportedly stated that Azhar had fled to Afghanistan.
India had released Azhar in 1999 in exchange for the safe return of hostages aboard the hijacked Indian Airlines Flight 814 (IC814).
In a speech last month, Azhar allegedly claimed that "fearful rulers" lacking faith in Allah's word and "jihad" had "led us to defeat" in regions like Kashmir, Palestine, and other Muslim territories.
Azhar is also suspected to be the mastermind behind the 2001 Parliament attack and the 2016 Pathankot strikes.
In recent years, India has consistently urged Pakistan to take decisive action against the JeM chief. PTI MPB RC
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