India targeted Balakot centre, says JeM audio clip

In an audio clip, a Jaish-e-Mohammad leader appears to have accepted that India targeted their centre in Balakot.

Taha Siddiqui, an exiled Pakistani journalist, on Saturday shared a 1.51 minute-long audio clip on Twitter. In the clip, a man is heard giving a sermon in Urdu. An English translation of the clip has been provided by Taha Siddiqui.

The unidentified man talks about India's airstrike in Balakot and criticises the Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan for releasing the captured Indian Air Force pilot, Abhinandan Varthaman.

The voice in the clip claims Indian planes did not bomb any agency (Pakistan army)'s headquarters. It goes on to say India targeted a "place where students learned jihad in order to help the Kashmiri Muslims, as it is their duty based on the teachings of Quran and Sunnah."

The man further expresses doubt whether the Pakistani army's acts can be seen as real jihad."The decision is in your hands. Will you still call the agency's activities (Pakistani army's) as jihad, even when Hindustan has crossed the border into our country and has targeted our centre (JeM), and made Jihad a reason to defend ourselves," the voice in the audio clip says.

The person likened the Indian Air Force to hyenas, which would go to a city to die. "Hindustan's ants wanted to fly and they flew to Balakot. Hindustan's hyenas wanted to die and they have come to the city of Balakot," the voice adds.

The voice demands the listeners to decide on either to crush the Indians like lions, or behave like cowards. "Now it is upto the lions like you to crush this ant and hunt this hyena or act like that Niazi (shy) ruler of ours. Earlier, a Niazi lost half of the country and 90,000 soldiers (during Bangladesh war). Today another Niazi has returned the Indian pilot," says the voice.

The voice states that Imran Khan's decision to release the Indian pilot, Abhinadan Varthaman embarrassed the Muslim community. "By returning the pilot, he (Imran Khan) has turned our victory into our loss. He has bowed down in front of the enemy and has embarrassed Muslim ummah (community)."