Afghanistan denies Masood Azhar presence, contradicts Pakistan's claims

Afghanistan's Foreign Ministry has publicly stated that Masood Azhar, India's most-wanted terrorist, is not present in the country. This directly contradicts Pakistan's longstanding claims that the Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) founder has fled to Afghanistan and operates from there. Afghanistan reiterated that its soil will not be used against any other nation.

The Afghan statement comes as the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) prepares to review Pakistan's counter-terrorism efforts. Pakistan faces international pressure to take strict action against terrorist groups and their leaders. The country was on FATF's grey list between 2018 and 2022 for deficiencies in combating money laundering and terror financing.

Masood Azhar is linked to multiple terror attacks in India, including the 2001 Parliament attack, 2008 Mumbai bombings, 2016 Pathankot airbase assault, and 2019 Pulwama bombing. Efforts to apprehend Azhar remain a key criterion in international reviews of Pakistan's counter-terrorism performance.