Bilawal Bhutto Says Pakistan Doesn’t Know Where Masood Azhar Is, Suggests He May Be in Afghanistan
In a recent interview with Al Jazeera, Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader and former foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said Islamabad has no confirmed knowledge of the whereabouts of Masood Azhar, the chief of the terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), and claimed the militant leader may be in Afghanistan.
Responding to questions on Pakistan’s efforts to curb terrorism, Bhutto said, “We don’t know where he is. Given his involvement in the Afghan jihad, it is quite possible that he is in Afghanistan.” He added, “It’s not possible for Pakistan to do what NATO couldn’t do in Afghanistan. There is no reason for us to want anyone of concern to be active.”
Azhar, one of India’s most-wanted terrorists, is linked to several high-profile terror attacks, including the 2001 Parliament attack, the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, the 2016 Pathankot airbase assault, and the 2019 Pulwama suicide bombing. He was released from Indian custody in 1999 as part of the Kandahar hijacking deal and was designated a global terrorist by the United Nations in 2019.
Bhutto, whose party is a part of the ruling coalition in Pakistan, insisted that Pakistan is willing to take action if credible information is provided by India. “If and when the Indian government shares information with us that he is on Pakistani soil, we would be more than happy to arrest him,” he said. “So far, we haven’t received any such evidence.”
He also addressed international criticism of Pakistan’s handling of other terror suspects. Reacting to a report by The New York Times that claimed Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) founder Hafiz Saeed was moving freely, Bhutto responded, “That’s factually not correct. Hafiz Saeed is in the custody of the Pakistani state.”
Bhutto defended Pakistan’s approach to counterterrorism, referencing past cooperation with international partners. “We’ve shared suspect lists and intelligence to thwart attacks in London, New York, and Pakistan,” he said, emphasizing the importance of multilateral coordination.
His comments come shortly after India’s Operation Sindoor, launched on May 7 in retaliation for the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 civilians, mostly tourists. The operation reportedly targeted nine terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), including the JeM stronghold in Bahawalpur and LeT’s base in Muridke.
In the aftermath of the strikes, Masood Azhar claimed that ten of his family members and four aides were killed in Indian airstrikes.
The interview signals a complex moment in India-Pakistan relations, with terrorism once again at the forefront of regional diplomacy and security discourse. While Bhutto’s remarks suggest a degree of willingness for cooperation, India’s concerns over cross-border terrorism remain far from resolved.
IT.
