Pakistani investigators reach India's Pathankot airbase
The team reached the Indian capital on Monday
AMRITSAR (Dunya News) – Pakistan’s joint investigation team (JIT) put together to help Indian authorities in Pathankot probe has reached the airbase to pay a visit to the attack site, Dunya News reported Tuesday.
Indian media reported that the five-member team led by Muhammad Tahir Rai, Additional Inspector General (IG) of Punjab Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) left for Amritsar from New Delhi earlier today along with Indian officials to launch formal investigations. Details have it that Pakistani officials were shifted to the base under tight security.
The team will review the route taken by militants to reach the airbase in January this year. However, Indian authorities have not given complete access of the attack site to the Pakistani team.
The investigation team comprises of Intelligence Bureau (IB) Lahore’s Deputy Director Muhammad Azeem Arshad, Lieutenant Colonel of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Tanvir Ahmad, Lieutenant Colonel Irfan Mirza of Military Intelligence (MI) and CTD Gujranwala’s Shahid Tanvir.
The team reached the Indian capital on Monday.
The JIT was granted access to the Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Salwinder Singh, who is alleged to be involved in the incident among other eyewitnesses.
The team will also examine the ammunition used in the onslaught.
The team will also visit the site where Indian taxi driver Ikagar Singh was murdered and where militants waylaid Salwinder Singh’s vehicle.
The attack
On January 2, six militants had stormed Pathankot airbase in Indian Punjab killing around seven personnel. Repercussions of the attack in regard to tensions between Pakistan and India were not as bad as the case has been in the past years.
Pathankot attack came a week after the surprise meeting of Indian PM Modi and PM Nawaz on Christmas at Sharif’s residence in Lahore’s Jati Umrah. Reports claimed that the attack was meant to sabotage the attempt to better relations through Lahore meeting.
India had suspended all contact with Pakistan in November 2008 after an attack in Mumbai. However, talks were resumed in 2011 amid high tensions across the Line of Control (LoC).
Unprovoked cross-border shelling claimed lives of dozens of Pakistanis in 2014 and 2015.
The most recent scheduled sitting between the two sides, National Security Advisers-level dialogue was postponed after the Pathankot attack.
Congress, AAP protest
Workers of Congress and Aam Aadmi party (AAP) protested outside the airbase against Pakistani team’s visit. Congress has questioned government’s ability to handle the matter highlighting suspected compromise over national security.
Delhi Chief Minister (CM) Arvind Kejriwal has endorsed Congress viewpoint denouncing the Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi for allegedly handing over the probe to Pakistan.
Following the protests at the base, National Investigation Agency (NIA), the department tasked to scrutinize the attack and cooperate with Pakistani officials erected barricades.
On Monday, Indian opposition lashed out at Modi for allowing an Inter-Services Intelligence official to visit the Indian Air Force (IAF) base.
Toll on talks
Indian Foreign Secretary S J Shankar stated that Pakistan should first conduct action and apprehend suspects involved in the Pathankot incident before holding talks with India.
Answering a question during a discussion held in New Delhi on March 2, the Foreign Secretary had stated that there were numerous hurdles in improving Pak-India relations, of which terrorism was the leading issue.
Shankar stated that Pakistan should change its attitude regarding several issues including terrorism.
He added that both countries were in contact with each other after the attack in Pathankot.
On the other hand, Pakistan’s National Security Advisor (NSA) Sartaj Aziz stated that the dialogue was pushed ahead but not cancelled.
