Pathankot attack probe: India grants visa to Pak Joint Investigation Team
New Delhi: India on Friday granted visas to the members of Pakistan's Joint Investigation Team who are set to arrive to probe the deadly attacks on the Indian Air Force Base in Pathankot.
"We have issued visas to five Pakistani officials, who will be going to India to get evidence about the Pathankot attack," an Indian High Commission spokesperson said on Friday.
Pakistan's joint investigation team would arrive in India on March 27 and start functioning from March 28.
According to sources, the JIT comprises Punjab Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) AIG Rai Tahir as convener, Intelligence Bureau Lahore Deputy Director General Azim Arshad, Lt. Col Tanvir Ahmed of the ISI, Lt, Col Irfan Mirza of MI and Gujranwala CTD Investigating Officer Shahid Tanveer.
However, reports state that the team's movement would be restricted only to the area where encounter took place between security forces and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terrorists.
This will be the first time that Pakistani intelligence and police officials are travelling to India to investigate a terror attack. The team is expected to examine the weapons used by the terrorists carrying out the assault on IAF base in Pathankot besides recording the statements of the victims, Pakistani media reports said.
"Is it possible that when Sartaj Saheb and I meet, the Pathankot issue will not figure? Yes, we talked about the Pathankot issue as well. The Pakistan's JIT will arrive in India on the night of March 27 and will start functioning the very next day," External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj had told the media in Pokhara while addressing a joint press briefing with Sartaj Aziz on the sidelines of the SAARC Council of Ministers meeting.
Home Minister Rajnath Singh had said that the modalities for conducting the Pathankot attack probe would be worked out once Pakistan's joint investigation team arrives in the country.
"Pakistan JIT team is coming on March 27 to probe the Pathankot terror attack. The modalities will be worked out once they arrive," Singh told the media here.
On 2 January, terrorists attacked the Pathankot Air Force Station, part of the Western Air Command of the Indian Air Force. Four terrorists were killed and three security personnel were martyred in the gun battle.
