Pathankot terror attack probe: JIT evaluating information shared by India, says Pakistan MoFA

On the contrary to reports published by 'Pakistan Today' on Tuesday that the Joint Investigation Team (JIT) concluded that the Pathankot terror attack was staged by India to spread a 'vicious propaganda' against Pakistan, Pakistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) on Thursday said investigations are underway and the JIT is evaluating information shared by the Indian side.

On a question of likelihood of the Foreign Secretary level talks between the two nations, MoFA spokesperson Nafees Zakaria said, "Both countries are in contact with each other and it has been reiterated from both sides that modalities are being worked out. I will again state that negotiations are the best means to resolve the issues. I have read the statement of the Indian Foreign Secretary you are referring to and in that also there was indication that the talks would take place." Indian Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar reportedly stated that Pathankot shows that the biggest issue between Indian and Pakistan is terrorism.

National Investigation Agency (NIA) DG Sharad Kumar had on April 1 told the media that the investigation agency briefed the Pakistan JIT on investigations in the terror attack carried out by the Jaish-e-Mohhamed on January 2. "The Pakistan JIT in turn shared with NIA, the result of investigation conducted by them so far in Pakistan. On JIT's request, the NIA provided certified postmortem reports, DNA reports, CDRs, articles seized from the scene of crime," he added.

The Director General of NIA said the Pakistani JIT was given access to 16 witnesses, including Superintendent of Police Salwinder Singh, his cook and some formal witnesses as per agreed term of references. "The JIT informed us that they were collecting admissible evidences outside Pakistan under the provision section 188 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), Pakistan, that would legally enable them to use in prosecution," he added.

He also said that the investigation agency sought some voice sample of senior office bearers of JeM and DNA samples of mother of slain terrorist Naseer Hussain. "The Pakistan JIT assured us of full cooperation and promised to execute the LR which has been received by them," he added. Kumar also said that the NIA presented the Pakistan JIT with concrete evidences against the office bearers of JeM, who conspired the attack and the handlers of the terrorists who guided them in Pathankot.

"We requested the Pakistan JIT that a team of NIA officials would also like to visit Pakistan and would like to carry forward the investigation in the Pathankot terror attack case; they have welcomed the idea," said the NIA DG.