Pakistan’s previous Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has ignited new controversy by saying that Islamabad doesn’t know the location of Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) chief Masood Azhar. During an interview with Al Jazeera, Bhutto went on to say that Azhar, a UN-listed international terrorist, might be staying in Afghanistan.
“As much as Masood Azhar is concerned, we have not been able to arrest him or locate him. Considering his history in the Afghan jihad situation, it is our notion that he is located in Afghanistan,” Bhutto stated.
Bhutto Claims Masood Azhar May Be in Afghanistan, Not Pakistan
Bhutto’s remarks come a little over two months after Indian airstrikes as part of Operation Sindoor attacked terror camps in Bahawalpur, in which Azhar was said to have had a narrow escape with death. Missile attacks reportedly killed some members of his family.
In the interview, Bilawal Bhutto made a response to charges that Pakistan harbors terrorists. On Hafiz Saeed, the Lashkar-e-Taiba founder and 26/11 Mumbai attacks mastermind, Bhutto stated, “That is factually incorrect that Hafiz Saeed is a free man. He is in the custody of the Pakistani state.”
In response to queries regarding Pakistan’s hesitation in taking action against Azhar, Bhutto stressed that Islamabad would be willing to cooperate, as long as New Delhi provides it with credible intelligence.
“If and when the Indian government provides us with information that he is on Pakistani soil, we would be more than happy to arrest him. Bhutto also defended Pakistan’s strategy for counterterrorism cooperation.”
“When you have a CT (counterterrorism) cooperation with any state, we give groups of our concern, they give groups of their concern,” he clarified.
Masood Azhar remains one of India’s most wanted terrorists, having masterminded and carried out major attacks such as the 2001 Parliament attack, the 2008 Mumbai attacks, and the 2019 Pulwama bombing that killed 40 CRPF personnel.
India has traditionally insisted that Azhar works from within Pakistani territory with state institution backing. But Bhutto’s recent comments seem to place blame on Afghanistan, which could strain Islamabad-Kabul relations while diverting international pressure.
With diplomatic tensions ongoing, the ball now remains in India’s court over whether to pass on more intelligence or step up international pressure on Pakistan to move against Azhar.