New Delhi: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) senior leader Subramanian Swamy on Tuesday said the Pathankot terror attack was a betrayal of trust on the part of Pakistan as it came just days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s courtesy visit to Lahore.
Swamy in an exclusive conversation told ANI that a Committee should be set up to probe the Pathankot attack.
“After the Kargil, the NDA Government set up a Committee headed by K. Subramanyam, who is the father of the present Foreign Secretary in the External Affairs Ministry. I think we need this also here. There is evidence that we had advance information in great detail. So, why didn’t we act on it? So, the responsibility has to be fixed,” Swamy said.
“It is also a question that this has happened a few days after the Prime Minister’s direct meeting with his Pakistani counterpart. Was it a betrayal of trust on the part of the Pakistani Prime Minister that he didn’t inform? Or he should have informed subsequently that I was not told about it,” he added.
The BJP leader called for a full-fledged inquiry into the entire episode so as to find out how the nation and Prime Minister Modi, who extended his hand of friendship, has been betrayed.
The attack at the Pathankot air base has put Prime Minister Modi’s initiative for a dialogue with Islamabad in dock as there are strong indications that New Delhi may call off the Foreign Secretary-level talks if evidence emerges that Pakistan’s state actors were complicit in the fidayeen raid.
Reports suggest that India expects Pakistan to take action against the leaders of terrorist group Jaish-e-Muhammaed, which scripted the attack on Pathankot, as a pre-condition for the talks.
Earlier today, Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif called up his Indian counterpart and assured prompt action against those responsible for the attack on the air base.
The Pakistan Government had earlier said that it is in line with its commitment to New Delhi to effectively counter and eradicate terrorism.
Pakistan condemned the terrorist attack at Pathankot and said that they were working on the ‘leads’ provided by India as a sign of their ‘commitment’.
“We have extended our deepest condolences to the Government and people of India. In line with Pakistan’s commitment to effectively counter and eradicate terrorism, the Government is in touch with the Indian government and is working on the leads provided by it,” the Pakistan Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
Meanwhile, six terrorists have been neutralised so far in the combing operation, which is still on at Pathankot’s air base for safety purpose. (ANI)