'Exposes Your Duplicity': India Asks Pakistan to Take Strong Action Against Masood Azhar

New Delhi: India on Friday called for stringent action from Pakistan against Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) chief Masood Azhar following reports of him allegedly delivering a speech at a public gathering in Bahawalpur.

Reacting to the report, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal highlighted Pakistan's duplicity in tackling terrorism if the reports are accurate.  "We demand that strong action be taken against him (Azhar) and he should be brought to justice. There has been denial that he is not there in Pakistan," Jaiswal stated during the weekly media briefing.

He further added, "If the reports are correct, then it exposes the duplicity of Pakistan. Masood Azhar is involved in cross-border terror attacks on India and we want that strong action be taken against him."

Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) chief Masood Azhar reportedly delivered a provocative speech in Bahawalpur recently, where he allegedly referred to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as a "mouse" and vowed to intensify terror attacks in Jammu and Kashmir. The speech is believed to have been made in November, raising fresh concerns over Azhar's activities.

Azhar, one of India's most-wanted terrorists, has long been associated with high-profile attacks against the country. In September 2019, India designated Azhar and another Pakistan-based terrorist, Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) founder Hafiz Muhammad Saeed, as "individual terrorists" under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).

Azhar was linked to the 2001 Parliament attack that resulted in the deaths of two security personnel and was a key figure behind the 2019 Pulwama attack on Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel in Jammu and Kashmir, which killed 40 soldiers.