The Taliban denies Pakistan’s claim. Jaish-e-Mohammad Chief Is Not Present in Afghanistan.

Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid has denied that JeM chief Maulana Masood Azhar is in Afghanistan, saying he is in Pakistan, according to Afghanistan’s local media outlet Tolo News.

According to Bol News, Pakistan has written a letter to Afghanistan demanding the arrest of JeM chief Maulana Masood Azhar, citing sources and adding that Maulana Masood Azhar is most likely present in Afghanistan’s Nangarhar and Kanhar provinces.

In response to the letter, Zabiullah Mujahid, spokesman for the Islamic Emirate, stated, “The leader of the Jaesh-e-Mohammad group is not here in Afghanistan.” He is not in Afghanistan, and we have not been asked anything along these lines. We learned about it in the news. “Our reaction is that this is not true,” Tolo News reported.

Furthermore, the Taliban-led Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) has stated that such allegations could impact relations between Kabul and Islamabad. “We also urge all parties to refrain from making such allegations without proof and documentation.” Such media allegations can harm bilateral relations,” a Taliban spokesman, Abdul Qahar Balkhi, said.

This report comes after the Paris-based international watchdog Financial Action Task Force (FATF) compelled Islamabad to take action against some of the UN-designated terrorists, allowing them to be removed from the grey list for the time being. This is a possible Pakistani organization.

Notably, Pakistan’s recent action against Lashkar e Taiba (LeT) operational commander Sajid Mir, whom it had previously declared dead, is the result of FATF’s persistent pressure on Pakistan.