New Delhi : Defence expert Ranjeet Rai on Sunday lauded US Secretary of State John Kerry’s move to ask Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to take action against the evidence provided by India with regard to the Pathankot terror attack.
Rai said Kerry, who is experienced and travels a lot, is actually the troubleshooter for the United States.
“Now, he has rung up Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and actually I believe told him that every evidence is transparent, you must take action against the evidence given by India and he expects some action. So, as a troubleshooter for the United States who knows Pakistan very well, he has put pressure on the Prime Minister of Pakistan Nawaz Sharif,” Rai told ANI.
“But actually the ball lies also in the Army Court of Pakistan. So, let us see what happens. I believe China has also made a statement supporting the evidence to Pakistan. Now, the ball is completely in Pakistan’s court to do something,” he added.
The Pakistan Prime Minister told Kerry in a telephonic conversation earlier that Islamabad is ‘swiftly’ carrying out investigations in a ‘transparent’ manner into the Pathankot terror attack and ‘will soon bring out the truth’.
He added that the world will see Pakistan’s ‘effectiveness and sincerity’ in the Pathankot attack probe, the Dawn reports.
Sharif also assured that Pakistan won’t allow its soil to be used for terrorism.
Kerry on his part expressed hoped that the talks between the two hostile nations ‘would continue’ despite the attack which was meant to thwart the peace process.
The US Secretary of State’s call to Sharif came amid Indian intelligence reports suggesting that Pakistan-based groups have planned and executed the strike on the Pathankot air base.
The United States has maintained that India and Pakistan should go ahead with their upcoming talks and see it through in the interest of regional stability.
Meanwhile, India is awaiting Pakistan’s response on the information provided with regard to the Pathankot attack. The response from Islamabad is crucial for the upcoming Foreign Secretary-level talks scheduled for later this month.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) earlier said Islamabad has been given actionable intelligence that those responsible for the planning and execution of the attack had come from Pakistan.
The NIA has also made initial details of probe into the Pathankot attack public. The NIA’s forensic experts have taken DNA samples, weaponry, accessories and other important evidences from the site of the attack.
The NIA have also lifted the footprints believed to be of terrorists from the Bamihal village near border area and from within the Air force station and sent to CFSL for investigation.
Six terrorists, believed to owe allegiance to Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed were gunned down by the security forces after a four-day gun battle. Seven security personnel also lost their lives. (ANI)