Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, in the meantime, on Friday reviewed the progress made on the information provided by the Government of India in connection with the Pathankot terror attack.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be visiting the Pathankot Air Base station on Saturday to take stock of the security situation after the terrorist attack that left seven security personnel dead and 20 others injured. He is likely to arrive in Pathankot by 11 am.
The visit holds significance in the midst speculations that the Foreign Secretary-level talks between India and Pakistan could be called off by New Delhi in the wake of the attack. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Thursday put the ball in Pakistan’s court, saying the future course of action would be decided after Islamabad’s response to actionable intelligence provided with regard to the fidayeen strike. “As far as we are concerned, the ball is now in Pakistan’s court. The immediate issue in front of us is Pakistan’s response to the terrorist attack and the actionable intelligence that has been provided to it,” said MEA official spokesperson Vikas Swarup, adding that the government’s policy towards Pakistan is clear and consistent.
Subsequently, the security in the area has been considerably tightened.
Security tightened at #Pathankot airbase, PM Modi is to visit the airbase today. pic.twitter.com/XgRiLDbFLu
— ANI (@ANI_news) January 9, 2016
Meanwhile, in the course of investigation, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has found several articles on the bodies of the terrorists and from the crime scene that further confirm their Pakistan link. The investigation agencies have reportedly found wrappers and packets of medicines and syringes bearing name of Karachi and Pakistan from a building at the Pathankot Air base, where terrorists had taken shelter during the attack. Gurdaspur Superintendent of Police Salwinder Singh has been summoned to the NIA headquarters on Monday for questioning. Singh and his jeweller friend Rajesh Verma said to have been abducted by the terrorists on the night of December 31. An NIA team visited the house of Verma.
Almost the entire International community has unequivocally condemned the terrorist attack, hoping that the perpetrators would be brought to the book. Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, in the meantime, on Friday reviewed the progress made on the information provided by the Government of India in connection with the Pathankot terror attack.
Prime Minister Sharif, who chaired a high-level meeting here, reiterated Pakistan’s commitment to cooperate with India on the Pathankot incident and to be in touch with the Government of India in this regard.
The meeting was attended by Army Chief General Raheel Sharif, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, Adviser to Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz, National Security Advisor Naseer Khan Janjua, DG ISI, Foreign Secretary and DG Military Operations among others, reported Radio Pakistan.
PTI