A surprising report has emerged from Pakistan regarding a secret meeting between Pakistan Army Chief General Asim Munir and Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar. A national media outlet made this claim, citing an unidentified source. According to the source, the meeting took place on September 16 at a guest house belonging to Munir. The two held closed-door discussions for approximately two and a half hours. Mufti Abdul Rahim and Maulana Tahir Ashrafi were also present during the meeting.
This news comes at a time when Pakistan is attempting to project a tough stance against terrorism. Recently, Pakistan’s investigative agency, the FIA, released its “Red Book,” declaring Masood Azhar a most-wanted fugitive and announcing a reward of 70 lakh rupees for his capture.
Pakistan has consistently claimed that Masood Azhar is not on its soil, asserting instead that he is hiding in Afghanistan. However, the Taliban government in Afghanistan has categorically rejected this claim. Indian intelligence agencies also believe that Masood is safely ensconced in Pakistan, operating his terrorist network from Bahawalpur and Nawabshah in Sindh. The same old charade before the FATF meeting…
The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) is set to hold a crucial meeting next month, in October. Pakistan faces the risk of either coming under strict scrutiny or remaining on the ‘Grey List’. India has previously stated that Pakistan’s actions are merely a charade; whenever international pressure mounts, Pakistan begins to stage a pretense of taking action against terrorists—at least on paper. This time, too, it has played the same old game.
The fear of ‘Operation Sindoor’…
When Indian security forces launched attacks on terrorist hideouts across the border under ‘Operation Sindoor’, India targeted the Jaish-e-Mohammed’s ‘Markaz Subhanallah’ in Bahawalpur. Subsequently, several letters authored by the terrorist organization Jaish-e-Mohammed came to light. In one letter, Masood Azhar mentioned that his elder sister, her husband, her nephew, her nephew’s wife, and five children had lost their lives in an Indian missile strike on Bahawalpur. He also referred to the deaths of close associates and their family members.
Despite this, the Pakistan Army continues to provide shelter to terrorists. The secret meeting between Army Chief Munir and the terrorist Masood makes it evident that terrorist infrastructure in Bahawalpur remains fully active. It is clear that Pakistan is not eliminating terrorism; instead, it is merely fabricating new narratives to mislead the world.
Who is Masood Azhar? Masood Azhar is the leader of the terrorist organization Jaish-e-Mohammed. On May 1, 2019, the United Nations (UNSC) designated him as an international terrorist. He is the same terrorist who was released from an Indian prison in exchange for the lives of passengers during the 1999 hijacking of Airlines Flight 814 to Kandahar. According to technical intelligence from Indian agencies, Masood Azhar has been hiding in Nawabshah, in Pakistan’s Sindh province, for the past six months, whereas Pakistan has claimed that it has no information regarding his whereabouts.
