In a bid to address Indian concerns, Pakistan on Wednesday took the chief of the Jaish-e-Mohamamd (JeM) Maulana Masood Azhar into protective custody along with his four top associates, including his brother Mufti Abdul Rauf, in connection with the terror attack on India’s Pathankot airbase.
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India had claimed that terrorists based in Pakistan were responsible for the attack on January 2 which left seven Indian security personnel dead.
A special investigation team of Pakistani officials will also travel to India “in the spirit of cooperative approach”, the prime minister’s office said in a statement.
“Based on initial investigations in Pakistan, and the information provided, several individuals belonging to Jaish-e-Mohammad have been apprehended. According to reports the participants have showed satisfaction with progress on fight against terrorism”, the report further said.
Uncertainty continued over the Foreign Secretary-level talks between India and Pakistan on Wednesday, even as Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a high-level meeting on the issue.
Pakistan has said it has arrested several militants from Jaish-e-Mohammad, the group India believes was behind the recent deadly assault on the Pathankot air base.
It also formed a joint investigation team of officials from the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), Military Intelligence and other arms of the Pakistani establishment days after India had handed evidence of Pakistani involvement.
Last week US Secretary of State John Kerry asked Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to find out the truth and stressed on the need to stay focused on the pressing challenge of terrorism in the region. The United Jihad Council (UJC) had stated in a statement released that the attack was a message to India that Kashmiri fighters could strike at any sensitive installation across India.
New Delhi:With National Security Advisor Ajit K Doval leaving for Paris late Monday night and Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar in Male, New Delhi is likely to take a “political call” on the proposed Foreign Secretary-level talks with Pakistan “in the next 24 hours”, government sources said.
“One one side, the Defence Minister says that “pain must be inflicted on those who hurt us” but Home Minister Rajnath Singh says he completely trust Pakistan and there is no reason to distrust them. We now wait that prompt and decisive action”, it had said.
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India has given the lead to Pakistan on the alleged attackers.
