India set to corner Pakistan on Masood Azhar issue at FATF meet

By: Hindustan Times

Published: 28 October 2026

Photo / Illustration: Haldwani Times News Desk

India is set to corner Pakistan at the plenary meeting of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) beginning on October 28 over Islamabad’s failure to crack down on the activities of UN-designated terrorist and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) chief Masood Azhar, people familiar with the matter said. People familiar with the matter said it is believed that Masood Azhar was in Kabul in the recent past and had travelled to Kunar and Khost provinces, located in eastern Afghanistan and bordering Pakistan (REUTERS)The Indian side’s case hinges on the Taliban regime’s recent denial of Pakistan’s claim that Azhar is currently in Afghanistan, the people said on condition of anonymity. While Pakistan has taken some steps to curb the activities of other UN-designated terrorists, including Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) chief Hafiz Saeed, there is no evidence of similar action against Azhar, they added. Over the past week, the Indian side has quietly sounded out diplomats from partner countries and key members of the FATF to gain support for its move that is expected to figure at the FATF plenary meeting to be held in Paris during October 28-30, the people said. This will be the first FATF plenary meeting under the presidency of Giles Thomson of the United Kingdom, and delegates from across the financial watchdog’s global network of more than 200 jurisdictions and observer organisations will gather in Paris to discuss evolving threats to global financial integrity and security. The FATF is set to review Pakistan’s anti-terror efforts at the plenary meeting. The Indian side has focused on Azhar, wanted by New Delhi for several terror attacks such as the 2001 Parliament strike, the 2016 Pathankot airbase assault and the 2019 Pulwama bombing, after the Taliban regime dismissed the contention of Pakistani officials that the JeM founder has been in Afghanistan since 2019. In September, Taliban spokesperson Zia Ahmad Thakal denied that Azhar was in Afghanistan, or that Pakistan has sent any formal communication regarding the JeM chief’s presence in Afghanistan. He also reiterated the Taliban’s policy of not allowing Afghan territory to be used against any country. India too urged Pakistan last month to act against sanctioned terrorists based on its soil instead of resorting to “gimmicks” such as a “phoney announcement” of a bounty for Azhar. Pakistan has maintained a bounty of Pakistani ₹7 million on Azhar for several years. Azhar was freed by India with two other terrorists in exchange for the passengers on flight IC 814, which was hijacked from Kathmandu to Kandahar in December 1999. He is listed among the most-wanted terrorists in the “Red Book” of Pakistan’s Federal Investigation Agency’s (FIA). Azhar was also designated as a global terrorist by the UN Security Council in May 2019 after China removed a block to his listing. Several of Azhar’s relatives were killed during an Indian strike on the JeM’s main base at Bahawalpur in May 2025 in retaliation for the Pahalgam terror attack. Pakistan was placed on the FATF’s “grey list” of countries subject to enhanced monitoring during 2018-2022 for its failure to counter terror financing, particularly fund-raising and illegal financial transactions by JeM and LeT, and systemic deficiencies in its anti-money laundering framework. It was also cited for its weak implementation of financial sanctions on UN-designated terrorists, and limited terror prosecutions and convictions. The pressure from FATF and Western countries forced Pakistan to take several steps against some terror leaders, especially those from LeT. Pakistan was allowed to exit from the “grey list” on the condition that the Asia Pacific Group (APG), a regional affiliate of the FATF, would continue reviewing its performance on certain specific points, including its ongoing efforts to arrest Azhar in connection with his terror financing conviction in 2021. Rezaul Hasan Laskar is Foreign Editor with the Hindustan Times, which he joined in 2015. He began as a journalist in his hometown of Shillong in northeast India and has worked in newspapers and wire services over the years. He moved to New Delhi in 1997 and initially focused on defence, national security, Jammu and Kashmir and the northeast, while also working of foreign policy and international relations. He has been part of the media delegation accompanying PMs on foreign visits and has reported from destinations ranging from Tibet to Ukraine. Between 2007 and 2013, he was the Press Trust of India correspondent in Pakistan, one of only two Indian journalists allowed to report from the country. He extensively covered Pakistan’s domestic politics and the life of the common people, as well as the fallout of the 2008 Mumbai attacks on India-Pakistan relations and the subsequent trial in Pakistan of the suspects involved in the attack. As part of his reportage in Pakistan, he travelled the breadth of the country, from the Swat Valley to Balochistan. Reza’s first gig in journalism was writing a weekly music column, and music – especially classic rock – remains a keen interest. He is also a movie buff and a keen photographer.Read More

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