JeM chief Masood Azhar in Pakistan, bounty act a 'big fraud': J-K BJP

The Jammu and Kashmir unit of the BJP on Tuesday said Pakistan's putting a bounty on Jaish-e-Mohammad chief Maulana Masood Azhar was a "big fraud", and urged Islamabad to "hand him over to India".

"Islamabad cannot escape accountability by merely declaring one of its most notorious terrorists a fugitive. Masood Azhar has not fled anywhere, and he continues to remain in Pakistan under the protection of the establishment," BJP spokesperson Altaf Thakur said.

Thakur demanded that Pakistan stop playing games and hand over Azhar to India, where he is wanted in connection with major terror cases.

"Pakistan's attempt to portray Masood Azhar as a fugitive is nothing but a big fraud and an exercise in deception. He has not disappeared from Pakistan; he is there, and Pakistan knows exactly where he is. If Islamabad is genuinely serious about fighting terrorism, it should hand him over to India instead of issuing statements and announcing rewards," Thakur said.

Thakur was reacting to Pakistan listing Azhar among its most-wanted terrorists and raising the reward for information leading to his arrest.

The BJP spokesperson said the timing of the move is significant as Pakistan is facing mounting international pressure over its record on terrorism following the BRICS Summit hosted by India.

"The successful BRICS Summit in India has once again exposed Pakistan's terror ecosystem before the international community. The message coming from the summit is unambiguous - there can be no double standards on terrorism and no safe haven for terrorists," he said.