Summary The National Investigation Agency has asked the Pakistani officials to identify alleged handlers
LAHORE (Web Desk) – Indian media has claimed that the government will seek Pakistan’s permission to visit the country as part of Pathankot attack probe, Dunya News reported Tuesday.
According to a report, India will send officials including National Investigation Agency (NIA) members to Pakistan after a joint investigation team (JIT) paid a visit to Pathankot airbase today.
The National Investigation Agency has asked the visiting Pakistani officials to identify alleged handlers of the attack, propagated by names Abu Bakar, Nasir, Usman and Major Sahib. Pakistani team has reportedly been asked to provide voice sample of Jaish-e-Mohammad chief Maulana Masood Azhar among other operatives.
The probe team has also been asked for DNA samples of slain terrorists’ family members.
According to the media, Indian probing agency seeks details of alleged Pakistan numbers used by handlers of the airbase attackers. The Indian media has claimed that there are seven such numbers.
Pakistani JIT’s visit
A five-member team of Pakistani investigators reached Indian New Delhi on Monday and was shifted to the airbase near Amritsar today.
The team reviewed the route taken by militants to reach the airbase. 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 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.
