The National Investigation Agency (NIA) chief’s reported statement that so far there was no hand of the Pakistan government or its agency in helping Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) carry out the terror strike in Pathankot has triggered a sparring between India and Pakistan with New Delhi, saying that the involvement of its nationals “is an accepted fact”.
Even as the NIA backtracked on its chief Sharad Kumar’s statement, on its part Islamabad, touted his remarks to claim “vindication” of its long-standing position in this regard.
The row started over a written interview purportedly given by Kumar to a television channel, in which he had said “No. So far, no evidence to show that Pakistan government or Pakistani government agency was helping JeM or Masood Azhar or his aides carry out the Pathankot attack.” Later, the NIA issued a statement, saying that the observation attributed to NIA Director General as regards to the Pathankot probe “is strongly refuted”. It said he was misquoted.
External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said that Kumar had already issued a clarification and it put out the government’s position that “the involvement of Pakistan’s nationals in the Pathankot airbase attack is an accepted fact.
"I would remind you that investigations are ongoing. The Foreign Secretary had conveyed to his Pakistani counterpart, when they had met in New Delhi in April, that it was time to review the progress in investigation into the attack after the return of Pakistan’s JIT, which had gathered all evidence that it wanted when it had visited India,” MEA spokesperson said in a statement.
He said enough information has also been provided to Pakistani authorities through two Letters Rogatory to conduct investigation in Pakistan so that all those associated in the neighbouring country with planning, support and execution of the attack are brought to justice.
“At this stage, we await further response and information from Pakistan. It would be injudicious to speculate in this situation,” he said.
At the Congress briefing, party’s chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala launched a scathing attack on the government, accusing it of weakening India’s fight against terrorism nationally and internationally with the NIA director giving a “clean chit” to Pakistan and its agencies. He said it was lamentable given the fact that India had succeeded in putting Pakistan in the dock after the 26/11 Mumbai attacks.
Faulting the Narendra Modi dispensation for inviting the Pakistani officers, including those from the “infamous ISI”, to visit the Pathankot airbase, he said what did the JIT did after returning was to attack India and the Indian government. Raising a number of questions for the PM, he said it has been a fact that Pakistan has sponsored terrorism and terrorist activities against India for decades. This is a fact well known in international circles.
He said it is a fact that Maulana Masood Azhar, Lakhwi or their terrot outfits or Dawood Ibrahim and other anti-India elements were roaming freely in Pakistan without any protection, help and support from Pakistan government.
Asked whether Congress would demand removal of the NIA director, Surjewala said that the director was "just a pawn" and was trotting out the line given by the Modi government. He said that it must be understood that the NIA director is an officer who has been given an extension. He also targeted the PM for his impromptu visit to Pakistan to participate in a birthday and a marriage. He said the strike at Pathankot took place a week later.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal also hit at the government and tweeted: "No other PM in the history of independent India knelt before Pak like this".