NewsJan 06 , 2016
Nawaz extends help in airbase attack probe
By Mariana BaabarAssures Modi of ‘prompt and decisive action’ against perpetrators; telephones his Indian counterpart; says Pakistan will not let terrorists derail peace process; Ajit Doval talks to Nasser Janjua; leads connected with attack provided to Pakistan
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif made a telephone call to his Indian counterpart and assured Narendra Modi that his government would cooperate with India in the probe into the Pathankot Airbase attack as Pakistan would take “prompt and decisive action” against those behind the attack and was ready to investigate any ‘leads’ or ‘information’ provided by the Indian government.
The US also says Pakistan has said it will not discriminate amongst terrorist groups as part of its counter-terrorism operations.Sharif’s call to Modi has proved that Pakistan is not shying away from cooperating with India on this terrorist attack and if, unlike the past, all ‘credible’ information is provided, there is enough political will here for a thorough investigation.
Pakistan has been provided with ‘leads’ connected to the attack through diplomatic channels, and a meeting between the two national security advisers before the scheduled foreign secretaries meeting is not being ruled out.
The leads according to the Indian media shared by New Delhi with Islamabad include intercepts of mobile phone calls made by the attackers to their Pakistan-based handlers and the numbers to which the calls were made.
Indian security officials say the assault on the airbase was the work of Jaish-e-Muhammed (JeM).That New Delhi was going to reach out to Pakistan through diplomatic channels and it was apparent when Minister for External Affairs Sushma Swaraj had a brainstorming session with former high commissioners who had served in Pakistan and former foreign secretaries, where The News understands advice was given to continue to engage with Pakistan.
It was Vikas Swarup, spokesman for the Ministry of External Affairs, who broke the news of a telephone call around 4pm (IST) to tweet, “PM Narendra Modi received a call this afternoon from PM Nawaz Sharif regarding the terrorist attack at Pathankot airbase”.
Sharif held out the assurance for a thorough investigation in a phone call that he made from Colombo on Tuesday where he is on an official visit, and is also accompanied by his National Security Advisor (NSA) General (retd) Nasser Khan Janjua.
It was after Janjua spoke to the Indian NSA Ajit Doval on Tuesday morning that Sharif made this important call to New Delhi. The NSAs have been mandated by prime ministers Narendra Modi and Nawaz Sharif to discuss countering terrorism.
Doval cancelled a trip to China after the Pathankot attack and attended the National Security Council meeting on Tuesday presided over by Modi and attended by cabinet members including Minister for External Affairs Sushma Swaraj.
That diplomatic channels were being used by both countries even before the telephone calls at the highest level was apparent when on Monday night the Foreign Office the spokesman said: “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”.
Speaking to The News, Adviser on Foreign Policy Sartaj Aziz welcomed the telephone call but said it was still too early to confirm the foreign secretary-level talks scheduled for January 15, and they would wait for a confirmation from New Delhi.
During the telephone call, Sharif also conveyed his grief and sorrow to Modi for the lives lost during the Pathankot attack and said terrorists will not be allowed to derail the peace process and assured his Indian counterpart that Pakistan will investigate any leads or information provided by the government of India.
According to the Indian Ministry of External Affairs Modi urged Sharif to take “firm and immediate action” against those involved in the attack.The Indian side of telephone conversation came from spokesman at the External Affairs Ministry who also said that Modi had “specific and actionable information” on the terrorist attack.
Modi also “strongly emphasized the need for Pakistan to take a firm and immediate action against the organizations and individuals responsible for and linked to the Pathankot terrorist attack”.
The Indian media has blamed Jaish-e-Mohammed that Delhi also blamed for the 2001 attack on the Indian parliament for the Pathankot attack. So far the attack has only been claimed by the United Jihad Council, an umbrella group of militant outfits.
According to the Indian media reports NSA Ajit Doval provided, “Specific and actionable information in this regard to Pakistan”, which The News understands have been conveyed through diplomatic channels.
Though India has as yet not directly blamed Pakistan at the official level for the attack at a time when Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar told the media that six militants who attacked an Indian air base had been confirmed killed, adding that a four-day-old operation to secure the compound was still under way.
“India has behaved in a sensible and responsible manner where instead of the war mongering Indian media, better sense has prevailed and they are weighing all options including working along with Pakistan to uncover those who carried out this attack”, a senior official told The News.
Meanwhile, the US State Department has also tried to prevail upon Pakistan and asked it to bring to justice those responsible for the attack.
In reference to the Monday night statement by the Foreign Office the State Department spokesman said: “The government of Pakistan has spoken...very powerfully to this, and it’s certainly our expectation that they’ll do exactly what - they’ll treat this exactly the way they’ve said they will.”
He described terrorism as a shared challenge for the region and said there were terrorist safe havens “between Afghanistan and Pakistan and certainly between India and Pakistan” that the US wants “to see cleared out”.
He added: “And we continue to engage with the government of Pakistan to that end. And again, I would point you back to what the government of Pakistan itself has...acknowledged that it’s not going to discriminate among terrorist groups and it will continue to take the fight.”
He added. “And we’ve been clear with the highest levels of the government of Pakistan that it must continue to target all militant groups, and the government of Pakistan has said publicly and privately that it’s not going to discriminate among terrorist groups as part of its counter-terrorism operations.”
The US also believes normalisation of relations between India and Pakistan is “vital to the security and economic prosperity of the entire region”, he said. “We strongly encourage the governments of both India and Pakistan to remain steadfast in their commitment to a more secure and prosperous future for both their countries and for the region”, the spokesman added.
Courtesy www.thenews.com.pk
Back to Pakistanlink Home