Jaish-e-Mohammad chief Masood Azhar reportedly reached Kotli town in Pakistan occupied Kashmir on Thursday defying the order barring his entry.

A private television channel, Geo TV, said the JeM leader managed to reach the town where he delivered a speech on the occasion of the birthday of Prophet Mohammad. Local officials, however, denied that Azhar had entered PoK.

India released Azhar in December 1999 to end the hijacking of an Indian Airlines plane. He is blamed for masterminding the December 13, 2001 attack on Indian Parliament.

Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf had banned Jaish-e-Mohammad last year. Azhar, who was kept in preventive detention, was released few months ago.