Pakistan has announced a bounty of ₹7 million on Masood Azhar, the chief of Jaish-e-Mohammed, a group responsible for terrorist attacks in India. The announcement was made ahead of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) plenary meeting scheduled for October, as Pakistan aims to avoid being placed back on the FATF grey list, according to livemint.com.
The increased bounty on Masood Azhar was reported by the news agency ANI and highlights Pakistan's efforts to demonstrate action against terrorism. Masood Azhar is linked to major terrorist incidents in India, including the Pathankot and Pulwama attacks. The timing of the bounty announcement is seen as a strategic move by Pakistan ahead of the FATF review, which assesses countries on their anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing measures, per livemint.com.
This development is significant in the context of Pakistan's ongoing scrutiny by the FATF, an intergovernmental body that monitors global financial crimes. Being placed on the grey list has economic and diplomatic consequences, and Pakistan has been under pressure to curb terror financing. The bounty on Masood Azhar, a designated terrorist by India and other countries, is part of Pakistan's attempt to show compliance with FATF requirements, according to livemint.com.
The FATF plenary meeting is scheduled for October, where Pakistan's status will be reviewed. The announcement of the ₹7 million bounty on Masood Azhar is one of the key actions Pakistan has taken publicly in the lead-up to this meeting, as reported by livemint.com.