Pakistan govt may pay Rs 14 crore to terrorist Masood Azhar as compensation after Indian strikes

File photo of terrorist Masood Azhar

The Pakistan government is likely to compensate UN-designated terrorist Masood Azhar with Rs 14 crore after 14 of his family members were killed during Operation Sindoor, The Tribune India has reported.

Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has approved Rs 1 crore as compensation for each of the deceased, which will be paid to the legal heirs of those killed.

This effectively means that Azhar may end up receiving Rs 14 crore in compensation, since Indian strikes eliminated 14 of his family members.

A statement in the Pakistani media attributed to Azhar confirmed that the victims included his elder sister and her husband, a nephew and his wife, a niece, and five children from his extended family.

If Azhar is determined to be the sole legal heir, he could become entitled to the full Rs 14 crore compensation, te report said.

The Indian military has described the May 7 operation as a precision strike exclusively targeting terror infrastructure. Indian officials maintain that no civilian areas were affected.

According to the report, the compensation plan also includes a commitment to rebuild houses destroyed during the airstrikes, another move that has drawn criticism.

Indian defence officials, quoted in The Tribune, expressed concerns over whether the reconstructed structures could again be used for terrorist activities.

The JeM headquarters — located at Jamia Masjid Subhan Allah, also known as the Usman-o-Ali campus — was one of the key targets in Bahawalpur, about 400 km from Lahore.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had warned in his first address on the success of Operation Sindoor that India will be watching Pakistan's actions closely over the coming days after both countries agreed to a fragile ceasefire understanding.