New Delhi, September 16 (TNA) India on Tuesday urged Pakistan to take concrete action against UN-sanctioned terrorists operating from its soil, dismissing Islamabad’s fresh announcement of a bounty on Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) chief Masood Azhar as a “phoney” move and a “gimmick” with no real consequence.
At a regular media briefing, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, “Such gimmicks and attempts at hoodwinking people by Pakistan are nothing new. We have seen similar gimmicks in the past as well.” He added, “For a state sponsor of terrorism to make such phoney announcements, we all know how hollow it is. Pakistan must take concrete action rather than make announcements that are ultimately of no consequence.”
The remarks came after Pakistan announced a reward of PKR 7 million (about Rs 20 lakh) for information leading to the arrest of Azhar, who remains on the UN Security Council’s 1267 sanctions list and is believed to be sheltered in Pakistan. India has long accused Islamabad of using such symbolic steps to project an image of action against terror while continuing to provide haven to groups like JeM and Lashkar-e-Taiba.
Jaiswal stressed that what matters is not rhetoric or bounty announcements but verifiable, sustained action against proscribed individuals and outfits based in Pakistan. “Pakistan must take action and not make phoney announcements, which are of no consequence,” he said, reiterating New Delhi’s demand that Islamabad act against all UN-designated terrorists on its territory.
The statement comes amid renewed international scrutiny of Pakistan’s counter-terror financing and anti-terror measures ahead of key reviews by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), where Islamabad’s record on terror-related financial curbs remains under the lens.