Sat Dec 07 02:10:00 UTC 2024: ## India Demands Pakistan Act Against Masood Azhar After Public Appearance Reports
**New Delhi, December 7, 2024** – India has demanded that Pakistan take immediate action against Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) chief Masood Azhar following reports that he delivered a speech at a public gathering in Bahawalpur last month. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson, Randhir Jaiswal, stated that if the reports are accurate, it exposes Pakistan’s duplicity, as the country has consistently denied Azhar’s presence within its borders.
Azhar, a UN-designated terrorist, is considered the mastermind behind several major attacks against India, including the 2019 Pulwama car bombing that killed 40 Indian soldiers and brought the two nuclear-armed nations to the brink of war. He is also believed to be responsible for the 2001 attack on the Indian Parliament and the 2016 Pathankot airbase attack.
Jaiswal emphasized India’s demand for strong action against Azhar, calling for him to be brought to justice. He highlighted the contradiction between Pakistan’s previous claims and the recent reports of Azhar’s public appearance. The MEA spokesperson’s statement follows years of India urging Pakistan to take stringent measures against the JeM chief.
In a reported speech, Azhar blamed the defeat of Muslims in Kashmir and Palestine on rulers who, he claimed, did not believe in Allah and Jihad. Notably, Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto reportedly claimed in 2022 that Azhar had fled to Afghanistan. India released Azhar in 1999 in a prisoner exchange following the hijacking of Indian Airlines Flight 814.
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