Azhar ‘detention’ to be raised when Pak SIT visits India: Govt

India on Thursday said it has “carefully noted” Pakistan Foreign Minister Sartaz Aziz’s remarks on the detention of JeM chief Masood Azhar and the issue will be discussed when the Pakistani SIT visits the country in connection with probing into the Pathankot terror attack. MEA spokesperson Vikas Swarup said India was awaiting a firm proposal from Pakistan on “dates and composition” of the SIT and only after that security agencies will decide what all places will be visited by the team when asked about Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar’s comments that the Pak probe team will not be allowed to visit the Pathankot airbase, the site of the attack. 

“We have carefully noted the comments made (by Aziz) on Maulana Masood Azhar. I think it will be a subject of discussion once the SIT visits India,” Swarup said, but did not give a direct reply on whether Pakistan has officially informed India about the JeM chief. Aziz had recently said that Azhar, along with a few other JeM operatives, was kept under protective custody.