Pakistani investigation team likely to visit India next month

Islamabad, Feb 20 (IANS) A team of Pakistani investigators is likely to visit India next month for collecting evidence relating to alleged involvement of Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) terrorists in the Pathankot airbase attack, the media reported on Saturday.

“The investigation team’s visit is expected,” a senior diplomat told Dawn on Friday, adding that dates for the visit were yet to be finalised.

The registration of an FIR by the Counter-Terrorism Department of Punjab police on Friday has, however, paved the way for the visit of the six-member investigation team constituted by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif weeks after the attack on the Pathankot Air Force Station, part of the Western Air Command of the Indian Air Force on January 2 that resulted in the death of 14 people - six attackers, seven security personnel and one civilian.

The investigation team will visit the site of the attack and collect evidence related to Indian claim that the terrorist strike was planned in Pakistan and executed by a group of four who had crossed the border into Pathankot.

The investigators will also meet officials of India’s National Investigating Agency investigating the attack.

India, a diplomatic source said, was ready to receive the Pakistani team and facilitate it in investigations.

The decision regarding cooperation with Pakistan was taken at a meeting in Delhi presided over by Indian National Security Adviser Ajit Doval in which issues relating to the visit of the Pakistani team were discussed.