Masood Azhar: From Kandahar hijack to Pulwama, India’s most wanted terrorist still at large

Whenever the name Masood Azhar surfaces, India is reminded of the horrifying 1999 Kandahar hijack. On December 24, Indian Airlines flight IC814 was hijacked en route from Kathmandu to Delhi, with 176 passengers and 15 crew members on board. The hijackers demanded the release of three dreaded terrorists—Masood Azhar, Omar Sheikh, and Ahmed Zargar. Under immense pressure to save innocent lives, India released them. This decision came at a heavy cost.Masood Azhar went on to mastermind some of the deadliest terror attacks against India—most notably the 2001 Parliament attack, the 2016 Pathankot attack, and the 2019 Pulwama suicide bombing that killed 40 CRPF personnel. After Pulwama, Indian forces targeted the Jaish-e-Mohammed training camps in Balakot, believed to be run from Bahawalpur, Pakistan—Azhar’s stronghold.Despite being declared a global terrorist by the UN in 2019, Azhar remains under Pakistan’s protection. Though his brother Rauf Asghar was killed in recent strikes, Azhar reportedly survived. Intelligence suggests Pakistan relocated him before Indian airstrikes.From jihadi speeches in Afghan war zones to recruiting suicide bombers for Kashmir, Azhar’s journey makes him India’s terrorist enemy number one. His capture or elimination is viewed as essential for lasting regional peace.

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