Pathankot Attack: Pak Probe Team To Arrive Today, Will Meet With Witnesses

The team, which was granted visas on Friday, could visit the NIA headquarters on March 28 and Pathankot on March 29.

The team consists of officials from both military intelligence and civil administration. (Photo: PTI)

New Delhi: A five-member Joint Investigation Team (JIT) of Pakistan to investigate the deadly terrorist attack on Air Force Base Pathankot will arrive in the capital on Sunday. India is understood to be planning to provide the team access to witnesses, barring security personnel of the National Security Guard or the Border Security Force.

The sources said the five-member delegation led by Pak Punjab’s counter-terrorism department cheif Addl IGP Muhammad Tahir Rai will provide limited access to the Pathankot Air Force. The airbase was visually barricaded by the NIA to prevent any view of its critical areas, the sources said.

On January 2, terrorists attacked the station Pathankot Air Force, part of western air command of the Air Force of India. Four terrorists were killed and two security personnel were martyred in the firefight.

The team consists of officials both military intelligence and civil administration. The team includes Punjab Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) AIG Rai Tahir convener Lahore Intelligence Bureau Deputy Director General Azim Arshad, Lt. Col Tanvir Ahmed, ISI, Lt Col Irfan Mirza of myocardial infarction and Gujranwala CTD Investigating Officer Shahid Tanveer.

The team, which was granted visas on Friday, would visit the headquarters of the National Service on 28 March and 29 March Pathankot at the head of the National Service, the visit will include a 90 minute presentation on the investigations conducted in the case so far, sources said. This will be the first time that Pakistani intelligence and police officials are traveling to India to investigate a terrorist attack.

The witnesses, with the exception of staff GSN, BSF and IAF Garud commands have been aligned for the team. Witnesses include Punjab Salwinder SP Singh, his jeweler friend Rajesh Verma and cook Madan Gopal and 17 people injured. The three were kidnapped by terrorists in the intervening night of December 31 and January 1 before entering the base.

It is expected that the NIA to share details about the four terrorists, including their home villages, people who had cooperated with them and facilitated their entry into India through the village Bamiyal on the border between India and Pakistan.

DNA samples were taken from the energy drink is believed to have consumed before carrying out the attack, they said. The Pakistan team will also be taken to the point where the Jaish-e-Mohammed (JEM) had violated terrorists to India, sources said.

The sources said they also expected the Pakistani side to answer about some details that India had dealt with them, including some phone numbers and details of the companies that had supplied packaged foods terrorists.

Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj said earlier that the joint investigation team of Pakistan could reach India on March 27 and will start operating from next day.

Interior Minister Rajnath Singh said earlier that the modalities for conducting the probe Pathankot attack must be deducted from joint research team from Pakistan arrives in the country.