PPP Leader Bilawal Bhutto Says Pakistan Doesn’t Know Where Masood Azhar Is, Pak Open To Arrest Him If India Gives Proof

5th July 2025 at 12:29 PM

1 minute read

Pakistan People's Party (PPP) leader Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said Islamabad has no knowledge of the whereabouts of Masood Azhar, chief of terrorist outfit Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM).

New Delhi : Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said Islamabad has no knowledge of the whereabouts of Masood Azhar, chief of terrorist outfit Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM). He claimed the country would arrest him if India provided credible evidence.

Bhutto claimed that, given Azhar’s involvement in the Afghan jihad, Pakistan believes he may be in Afghanistan. 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, he said, referencing the Western withdrawal and the Taliban’s return to power in the nation. Bhutto, whose party is part of the ruling coalition in Pakistan, said, “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 added that so far, New Delhi had not done so.

Azhar, one of India’s most-wanted terrorists, has been linked to several major attacks in India, including the 2001 Parliament attack, the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, the 2016 Pathankot airbase assault, and the 2019 Pulwama suicide bombing. He was designated a global terrorist by the United Nations in 2019 and was released from Indian custody in 1999 as part of the Kandahar hijacking hostage exchange. When asked why Pakistan was waiting for India to act, Bhutto pointed to international counterterrorism cooperation, where countries exchange lists of suspects. That’s how we have thwarted attacks in London, New York, and Pakistan, he said.

He also responded to a report by The New York Times, claiming that Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) founder Hafiz Saeed was roaming free. “That’s factually not correct. Hafiz Saeed is in the custody of the Pakistani state, Bhutto said. His comments come in the wake of India’s Operation Sindoor on May 7, launched in response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack.