India ‘failed’ to prove that terrorists were from Pak?

In a red-carpet welcome that was extended to the entire team of Pakistani investigators amid severe criticism, the officials were allowed to enter the military airbase from adjacent routes and their duration of the visit was as long as 55 minutes, enough to take a walk through the military facility.

However, sources close to the JIT were quoted as saying by Geo News, that they could not collect evidence within a span of 55 odd minutes. The sources were also quoted as saying that the lights along the 24-km perimeter wall of the Pathankot airbase were found to be faulty on the eve of the attack.

However, the report claimed that the Pakistani team was only informed about the negligence of Border Security Force (BSF) and Indian forces.

The JIT members visited the Pathankot Air base on March 29 where National Investigation Agency (NIA) officials briefed them and showed them the route from where the attackers stormed the airbase.

The JIT returned on Friday after their five-day visit to India during which all evidence pertaining to the attack was shared with them, including the DNA of four terrorists, their identity as well as call records showing involvement of Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terrorists behind the attack on the Pathankot air base during the intervening night of January 1 and 2.

The gun battle which lasted for more than 80 hours left seven security personnel dead. Bodies of four terrorists have been recovered so far.

On the contrary to Saturday’s revelation, Pakistan had recently admitted the involvement of its nationals in the terror attack. It came in the form of the Pakistani Joint Investigation Team (JIT)’s written request to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) for sharing evidence in the case. The request was made under Section 188 of the Pakistani CrPC, which applies to Pakistani nationals who commit crime outside the country, according to NIA officials.

Meanwhile, Indian investigators will visit Pakistan to investigate the Pathankot attack case with their counterparts in the neighbouring country, NIA chief Sharad Kumar said on Friday.

Kumar’s statement came after the conclusion of the first round of evidence-sharing exercise, for which a Joint Investigation Team (JIT) from Pakistan visited Delhi, Pathankot airbase and other spots.