World

Afghan Government Denies Masood Azhar Is Hiding in the Country, Contradicting Pakistan's Claims

By PTI

Afghanistan's Taliban-led administration has again rejected Pakistan's assertions that Jaish-e-Mohammed founder Masood Azhar is based on Afghan soil. A senior official from the Afghan Foreign Ministry confirmed that Azhar is not present in the country and reaffirmed that Afghan territory would not be permitted for use against any other nation.

Pakistan has long argued that Azhar fled to Afghanistan, a claim that has gained renewed attention as Islamabad faces scrutiny from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) ahead of its upcoming plenary session, where the Paris-based watchdog will review Pakistan's counterterrorism performance.

Azhar remains a wanted figure in India in connection with several major terrorist attacks, including the 2001 Indian Parliament attack, the 2008 Mumbai attacks, the 2016 Pathankot airbase assault, and the 2019 Pulwama bombing.

Pakistan was placed on the FATF grey list from 2018 to 2022 due to significant shortcomings in combating money laundering and terror financing. According to individuals tracking FATF proceedings, the listing stemmed largely from Pakistan's failure to curb financial support to groups such as Jaish-e-Mohammed and Lashkar-e-Taiba, along with weak enforcement of UN sanctions against designated individuals.

To secure removal from the grey list, Pakistan implemented several measures, including banning JeM, LeT, and their affiliated fronts, and securing convictions against leaders of these organizations. Azhar himself was convicted in absentia by Pakistani courts in 2021. He had earlier been designated a global terrorist by the United Nations Security Council in May 2019.

Pakistan exited the FATF grey list in 2022, but under the condition that the Asia/Pacific Group on Money Laundering (APG) would continue monitoring its progress on specific commitments. Among the points still under APG review, at FATF's request, is Pakistan's continued failure to arrest Azhar.

According to sources familiar with FATF's monitoring process, Pakistan has slackened on commitments made during its grey-list exit now that international scrutiny has eased. The sources noted that Islamabad has taken no concrete steps to apprehend Azhar, instead maintaining that he is not within its borders.

Pakistan had earlier claimed that Azhar crossed into Afghanistan via the Durand Line in May 2019 and has remained at large since then. However, in September 2022, a spokesperson for the Taliban government denied Azhar's presence in Afghanistan and stated that Pakistan had not submitted any formal communication regarding his whereabouts in the country.