Modi has surrendered before Pakistan: Kejriwal slams govt for inviting JIT

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of surrendering to Pakistan by allowing investigators from that country to probe the January terror attack on the Indian Air Force (IAF) base in Pathankot.

Kejriwal told the media that Pakistan had been harbouring anti-India terrorists and asked how its security and intelligence officials were being allowed to investigate something they had sponsored. “We were saying ISI (Pakistan’s spy agency) was responsible, it was a Pakistan-sponsored terror. Has this position changed?” the Aam Aadmi Party leader told reporters. “Prime Minister Modi has surrendered before Pakistan,” he said.

Earlier on Monday,  Congress also questioned the government’s move to give Pakistan’s security and intelligence officials access to the IAF base in Pathankot.

“Pakistan has provided no assurance of action. Yet their team has been allowed to investigate the Pathankot terror attack (in India),” Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala told reporters.

Surjewala said Modi’s government had not been able to “differentiate between state actors and non state actors” perpetrating anti-India cross-border terror. “Does the move (of allowing Pakistani investigators in India) imply that the Pakistan (government) has had no involvement in spreading terror in India?” Surjewala asked. “The Prime Minister should introspect properly and answer the nation. Is there a guarantee that the team will not favour the terrorists?” he asked.

The five-member Pakistani team arrived in Delhi on Sunday to probe the 2 January terror attack at the Pathankot air base in Punjab. The team will travel to Pathankot on Monday evening and question witnesses there.

According to official sources, the Pakistani team will be given limited access to the Indian airbase where at least seven military personnel were killed after a gun and bomb attack by alleged Pakistani terrorists.

One civilian was also killed in the attack on the sprawling 2,000-acre complex that houses high-value Indian defence assets, including fighter jets. Six terrorists who had crossed over into Punjab from Pakistan were also killed.

This is the first time that New Delhi has allowed Pakistani investigators to probe a terror attack in India blamed on that country.

The access was granted as India hoped that Pakistan will bring to justice the alleged perpetrators, including Jaish-e-Mohammad chief Masood Azhar.

Sources said that cooperation is offered to the Pakistani team on the principle of reciprocity. India hopes that a team will be allowed to travel to Pakistan at a later date.