NIA team to visit Pakistan to further probe Pathankot attack

Dates for the visit will be be worked out later, Director General of NIA Sharad Kumar told reporters here at the end of five days of discussions with Pakistani Joint Investigation Team (JIT) which returned today.

"We expressed that a team of National Investigation Agency (NIA) could be sent to Pakistan for a probe in that country since conspiracy has been hatched in that country. They welcomed the idea and the dates will be worked out later," he said.

Kumar said NIA presented the JIT with "concrete evidence" against the office bearers of Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) who conspired in the attack and the handlers of the terrorists who facilitated and guided them.

"NIA also sought voice samples of some senior office bearers of JeM ," he said without naming anyone. However, NIA sources said that they had sought voice samples of Jaish chief Maulana Masood Azhar, his brother Abdul Rauf and Khayyam Babbar, mother of one of killed Jaish terrorist identified as Nasir Hussain as he had called her before launching the attack in Pathankot.

Kumar also said that it had asked for a DNA sample of the mother of the terrorist.

The NIA briefed the JIT on investigations in the case.

The terror attack executed by the Jaish on January 2, 2016 in Pathankot left seven security personnel dead. Four terrorists were also killed in the gunbattle.

The Pakistan JIT, headed by Additional Inspector General of Police, Counter Terrorism Department, Muhammad Tahir Rai and also including ISI's Lt Col Tanvir Ahmed, in turn, shared with NIA the results of investigations carried out by them so far in Pakistan.

"The interaction with JIT was held in accordance with terms of reference mutually agreed on the basis of reciprocity. The Pakistan JIT assured us of their full cooperation and promised to execute the LR which has been received by them," he said.