Kabul rejects Pakistan's claim on Masood Azhar, says JeM founder not in Afghanistan
The Taliban regime in Afghanistan has denied Pakistan's claims that Jaish-e-Mohammed founder Masood Azhar is operating within Afghan borders. This comes as Pakistan faces ongoing pressure from the FATF to demonstrate progress in countering terror financing.
Why it matters
The dispute underscores the complex geopolitical tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan regarding regional security and international counter-terrorism obligations.
The Taliban regime has dismissed Pakistan's repeated claims that Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) founder Masood Azhar is operating from Afghanistan, with a senior Afghan Foreign Ministry official confirming that he is not in the country.
Kabul reiterated that Afghan territory will not be used against any other nation. Islamabad has long maintained that Azhar fled to Afghanistan, particularly as it faces pressure from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) to crack down on terror groups and their leadership.
The Paris-based global watchdog is set to review Pakistan's anti-terrorism efforts at its upcoming plenary.
Azhar remains wanted in India for major terror attacks, including the 2001 Parliament strike, the 2008 Mumbai attacks, the 2016 Pathankot airbase assault, and the 2019 Pulwama bombing.
Pakistan was placed under the FATF grey list between 2018 and 2022 for its systemic deficiencies in anti-money laundering and its failure to counter terror financing.
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