Days after Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar opposed the idea of allowing Pakistani investigators into the airbase in Pathankot to join the investigation into the terror strike of January 2, the Union government, as per news reports, has decided to allow a special investigation team (SIT) from the neighbouring country to do so in March.
Though a formal announcement is still awaited, the decision reportedly followed after Pakistan lodged a case on Friday, under an anti-terror law, against unnamed terror suspects in Gujranwala in its Punjab province.
There is nothing unusual in the arrival of a special investigation team (SIT) from Pakistan to probe the Pathankot terror case, but India expects that before that, Pakistan will investigate the terror suspects on its side and ensure that justice will be done in the case, an official source told The Hindu on Saturday.
Pakistan on Friday lodged a case against an unnamed group raising hope that the Jaish-e-Mohammed, the terror group that India blames for the Pathankot attack, will finally be punished by Pakistan.
India had blamed Jaish for the airbase attack, and handed over “actionable intelligence” to the Pakistani authorities. Officials had described the anti-terror FIR against the suspects as a “positive step” towards the investigation.
The reports regarding the anti-terror case in Gujranwala and the expected arrival of the SIT in March have added to the anticipation that the talks between the Foreign Secretaries of India and Pakistan that were postponed after the Pathankot strike will finally be held soon. Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Friday demanded that the Foreign Secretary-level talks be held without delay.
