Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised the country’s security forces on a visit to Pathankot air force base on Saturday, January 9, one week after a militant attack left 7 soldiers dead.
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Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has asked the chief of the Intelligence Bureau (IB) to form a joint investigation team (JIT) to investigate the alleged links of the Pathankot air base attackers with Pakistan, sources in the Prime Minister’s House said on Sunday.
The attack in Pathankot, where India keeps fighter jets and attack helicopters, came just a week after Modi made an unscheduled visit to Pakistan to meet Sharif, a demonstration of the leaders’ commitment to speeding up a rapprochement after months of bilateral tension.
According to the Dawn, US Secretary of State John Kerry telephoned Prime Minister Sharif and discussed the probe on the attack on the Air Force base.
He said Pakistan is eliminating terrorism on its soil and will not allow anyone to use Pakistani soil to conduct terror operations overseas, adding all state institutions are fully committed to eliminating terrorism.
The official indicated that the USA wants to give the civilian government time and space to act on its word and hoped that Pakistan would not repeat its past trend wherein it is seen reluctant in taking actions against terrorist groups under one excuse or the other.
Soon after receiving the information from India, Pakistan had acknowledged some “leads” had been shared that were being investigated.
Kerry’s call to Sharif came amid Indian intelligence reports suggesting that groups and people in Pakistan planned and executed the strike on the Pathankot air force base.
Modi, accompanied by National Security Adviser Ajit Doval, was briefed by senior Defence and security officers about the terrorist attack, carried out by Jaish-e-Mohammed fidayeen in which seven security personnel lost their lives and as many as 12 were injured.
The NIA have also lifted the footprints believed to be of terrorists from the Bamihal village near border area and from within the Air force station and sent to CFSL for investigation.
He also recalled that Mr. Modi had strongly emphasized the need for Pakistan to take firm and immediate action against the organizations and individuals responsible for and linked to the Pathankot terrorist attack.
Aziz told reporters in Lahore that the two countries had agreed to hold talks on January 15. “Specific and actionable information in this regard has been provided to Pakistan”, he said.
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A meeting between the two countries’ foreign secretaries was scheduled for January 15, but it is unclear if it will go ahead.
