New Delhi:
Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) chief Masood Azhar has made a rare admission about his time in an Indian jail, acknowledging that a failed attempt to escape custody in the 1990s came at a heavy personal cost.
In an audio clip of a speech, believed to have been delivered at a public gathering in Pakistan, Azhar is heard recounting how his plan to flee Jammu and Kashmir’s high-security Kot Bhalwal jail by digging a tunnel was uncovered by prison authorities at the last moment. Intelligence sources have confirmed the authenticity of the recording, which has recently surfaced.
The clip captures Azhar’s voice echoing through loudspeakers, suggesting the event took place in an open venue. During the speech, the terrorist leader, visibly emotional, describes how the escape plan collapsed on the very day he intended to use the tunnel.
‘Still Fear Them’: Azhar on Jail Authorities
According to Azhar’s own account, he and other inmates had been secretly digging the tunnel using tools procured illicitly over a period of time. However, prison officials discovered the plot before it could be executed.
“The tunnel was discovered on the last day of my escape plan,” Azhar is heard saying, before breaking down mid-speech.
He admitted that the fallout was severe. Jail authorities allegedly subjected him and other involved prisoners to harsh physical punishment, enforced tighter restrictions, and clamped down on daily routines. Azhar claimed he was kept in chains, faced curbs on basic activities, and lived under the constant fear of prison officials even years later.
Kot Bhalwal jail, located in the Jammu region, is known for housing some of the most dangerous terrorists captured by Indian security agencies, and has long been regarded as one of the country’s most secure detention facilities.
Background: Arrest, Release And Rise Of JeM
Masood Azhar entered India in February 1994 using a fake identity and a Portuguese passport, with the stated aim of spreading jihad in Jammu and Kashmir and recruiting militants. He was arrested later that year in Anantnag and remained incarcerated until 1999.
During his imprisonment, several attempts were made by terror groups to secure his release, but all failed. His eventual freedom came only after the hijacking of Indian Airlines flight IC-814 in December 1999, when the Indian government was forced to release Azhar in exchange for hostages.
Soon after his release, Azhar went on to establish Jaish-e-Mohammed, which has since been linked to multiple terror attacks in India, including the 2001 Parliament attack, the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, and several strikes in Jammu and Kashmir. He remains one of India’s most-wanted terrorists.
Operation Sindoor And Recent Developments
In a statement issued earlier this year, Azhar claimed that at least 10 members of his family and four close aides were killed during India’s Operation Sindoor—a series of cruise missile strikes targeting terror infrastructure deep inside Pakistan. The operation was launched in retaliation for the killing of 26 civilians in Pulwama, an attack attributed to JeM terrorists.
The resurfaced audio clip, security officials say, once again underlines India’s long-standing charge that Pakistan enables and shelters terrorist elements as part of its state policy against New Delhi.