NSAs to devise modalities, terms for Pathankot probe team

NEW DELHI/ ISLAMABAD:

As the national security advisers of Pakistan and India are expected to devise the modalities of a high-powered team to be sent to India to investigate the Pathankot assault, Pakistan’s civil and military leadership have ordered dismantling the network of Jaish-e-Muhammad in Punjab.

After India welcomed the Special Investigation Team that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif constituted on Wednesday to probe the Indian Air Force base attack that left seven soldiers dead earlier this month, Pakistani NSA Lt Gen (retd) Nasser Janjua has been directed to immediately approach his Indian counterpart Ajit Doval to discuss and finalise the modalities of the team, PM House sources said on Thursday.



They said India is also interested in sending its high-powered team to Pakistan to interrogate the detained activists of the JeM, the militant group blamed for the brazen assault on the airbase.

A senior member of Pakistan’s SIT told The Express Tribune that deciding on the terms of reference for the team would be an uphill task, adding that a meeting of the SIT would be called as soon as it is decided on what conditions India is willing to allow them.

Referring to the Mumbai incident, he said the then Indian government had not allowed Pakistan to send its team to India due to indecision over the ToR. “Although it’s a big development that India has allowed us to visit, but time will tell on which ToR they have welcomed us.”

Meanwhile, ahead of the planned talks between the foreign secretaries, the Indian media had reported that New Delhi had sought a meeting between the NSAs of the two countries. However, this was ruled out by both sides on Thursday.



Some sources had refused to rule out the possibility of a secret meeting between Janjua and Doval in Paris. Spokespersons of the foreign ministries of Pakistan and India on Thursday, though, said no such meeting was planned.

“I am not aware of any meeting between the NSAs of the two countries,” said Foreign Office Spokesman Qazi Khalilullah in Islamabad during the weekly briefing.

Official spokesperson of Indian’s Ministry of External Affairs, Vikas Swarup, echoed Khalilullah, saying that the NSAs of the two countries had not met and were unlikely to meet ahead of the foreign secretaries.

Crackdown on JeM

The civil and military leadership has directed the Punjab government to dismantle the JeM’s terror network across the province.

The Punjab counterterrorism department is actively targeting militants associated with the JeM and has also sealed one of their madrasas in Sialkot.



One of the terrorists believed to have carried out the attack on the Indian airbase had allegedly received instructions from a handler at the madrasa.

Sources said the CTD has been issued a clear mandate to dismantle all terrorist networks across the province come what may, adding that all the law enforcement, security and intelligence agencies are assisting the department in the crackdown on the militant group. 

Published in The Express Tribune, January 15^th, 2016.