Islamic Emirate spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid denied that Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) chief Maulan Masood Azhar was in Afghanistan, and said he is in Pakistan. 

Pakistani media reported that Pakistan's Foreign Ministry in a letter asked the Islamic Emirate to find and arrest Azhar. 

“The leader of the Jaesh-e-Mohammad group is not here in Afghanistan. This is an organization which could be in Pakistan. Anyway, he is not in Afghanistan and we have not been asked anything like this. We have heard about it in the news. Our reaction is that this is not true,” Islamic Emirate spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid said.  

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) said that such allegations can affect the relations between Kabul and Islamabad.  

“We also call on all parties to refrain from such allegations lacking any proof and documentation. Such media allegations can adversely affect bilateral relations,” said Abdul Qahar Balkhi, a spokesman for MoFA.  

The alleged letter said that Azhar is hiding somewhere in the eastern provinces of Nangarhar or Kunar, according to the anonymous source quoted by Pakistani media.

“It is obvious (Pakistanis) give officials statements about the individuals related to Pakistan. This is a confused (matter) and it also needs proof about whether he is present there (in Afghanistan) or not,” said Tahir Khan, a Pakistani journalist.  

The Jaesh-e-Mohammad group is mainly active in Pakistan. The group claimed the responsibility for an attack in Jamu and Kashmir.