In what comes as a significant development from Pakistan, reports suggest that Pakistani PM Shehbaz Sharif is likely to offer Rs 14 crore compensation to UN-designated terrorist and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) chief Masood Azhar. Azhar lost 14 members of his family, and the Pakistani state has sanctioned Rs 1 crore for each individual killed in the Indian airstrikes, The Tribune India reports. The compensation will be paid to the legal heirs, implying that if Azhar determines himself as the legal heir, he may end up with the whopping amount.
Along with offering compensation, reports suggest that the Pakistani government may also rebuild homes that were decimated in the Indian strikes.
The latest Pakistani stand has drawn criticism, with Indian defence officials saying that Islamabad's gestures raise questions over Pakistan's commitment to counterterrorism.
Masood Azahar acknowledges death of his family members
Earlier, Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) chief Maulana Masood Azhar acknowledged that 10 members of his family and four close associates were killed in India's missile attack on the outfit's headquarters in Bahawalpur.
A statement attributed to Azhar said those killed in the attack on Jamia Masjid Subhan Allah in Bahawalpur included the JeM chief's elder sister and her husband, a nephew and his wife, another niece, and five children from his extended family.
The statement further mentioned that the attack also claimed the lives of one of Azhar's close associates and his mother, along with two other close companions.
Bahawalpur became the hub of the JeM after the release of Azhar in exchange for the hijacked passengers of IC-814 in 1999.
UN designated Azhar a "global terrorist"
In May 2019, the United Nations designated Azhar a "global terrorist" after China lifted its hold on a proposal to blacklist the JeM chief, a decade after New Delhi approached the world body for the first time on the issue.
The elusive Azhar, who has not been seen in public since April 2019, is believed to be hiding in a "safe place" in Bahawalpur.
The group has been involved in a series of terror attacks in India, including the Parliament attack in 2001, the strike on the Jammu and Kashmir assembly in 2000, the attack on the IAF base in Pathankot in 2016 and the Pulwama suicide bombing in 2019.