New Delhi: India has issued a firm call for action against Masood Azhar, the leader of the banned terrorist organisation Jaish-e-Mohammed, who is accused of orchestrating numerous attacks, including the 2001 Parliament assault.
The demand came in response to reports of Azhar delivering a public speech—the first in over two decades—at an Islamic seminary in Bahawalpur, located in Pakistan’s Punjab province. In his address, Azhar allegedly vowed to intensify attacks on India and used offensive language directed at Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Reacting to these reports, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said that such revelations, if accurate, highlight Pakistan’s failure to curb terror activities originating within its borders. “Masood Azhar has been a key figure in cross-border terrorism targeting India. We insist that strong measures be taken to hold him accountable. Claims that he is not present in Pakistan have been made, but these reports, if true, expose Pakistan’s duplicity,” Jaiswal said at a press briefing.
Azhar’s inflammatory remarks on Benjamin Netanyahu
The speech, reportedly delivered in November, also included inflammatory remarks against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whom Azhar referred to as a “mouse.” Azhar is said to have reiterated his intentions to escalate violence in Jammu and Kashmir. Masood Azhar remains one of India’s most-wanted terrorists, with longstanding accusations of orchestrating attacks from within Pakistan.
India holds Azhar responsible for multiple attacks
In September 2019, India designated Masood Azhar and Hafiz Muhammad Saeed as ‘individual terrorists’ under the UAPA law. Azhar, responsible for the 2001 Parliament attack and the 2019 Pulwama strike on CRPF personnel, is also linked to the 2016 attack on the Indian consulate in Mazar-e-Sharif, Afghanistan.
In August 2020, India condemned Pakistan for harboring Azhar despite demands for accountability regarding Pulwama. Former MEA spokesperson Anurag Srivastava criticized Pakistan for sheltering Azhar. In January 2024, fake social media reports claimed Azhar’s death in a blast, but a fact-check confirmed the news was false.
