E-Paper
Pathankot probe: India will formally ask Pak to host NIA team
India is likely to formally inform Pakistan on sending a team of National Investigation Agency (NIA) sleuths early next month for sharing evidence in connection with the Pathankot attack.
India is likely to formally inform Pakistan on sending a team of National Investigation Agency (NIA) sleuths early next month for sharing evidence in connection with the Pathankot attack, sources told HT. In the meantime, NIA is also formally providing names and addresses of four Pathankot attackers.
“We want to give ample time to the joint investigation team (JIT) sent by Pakistan here to work on evidence shared by the NIA when they visited New Delhi last month. Early next month, India will tell Pakistan to host NIA investigators, which, in effect, will mean a period of more than a month for Pakistani sleuths to show some results,” said a senior home ministry official, requesting anonymity.
On Monday, Sartaj Aziz, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s adviser on foreign affairs, revived hope of a visit from the NIA team to Islamabad by indicating that Pakistan may not be averse to the idea. Aziz’s remarks came after Pakistan High Commissioner to India, Abdul Basit’s statement earlier this month that there was no question of reciprocity for allowing a visit of the NIA after the JIT’s trip to New Delhi.
On January 2, four to six attackers had allegedly entered India from Pakistan and targeted the Pathankot air base resulting in death of eight persons.
A senior NIA official said a fresh letter rogatory or a court-approved request for assistance in probe will be sent to Pakistan giving names and addresses of four dead Pathankot attackers to confirm their identity.
