Pakistan thinks evidence on Pathankot attack not enough to act upon
09 Jan 2016
Pakistan is reported to have sought more evidence from India on involvement of Pakistan-based terrorists in the brazen attack on the Pathankot Air Force base even as Pakistan's army and the ISI have joined Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in condemning the attack.
But, despite Prime Minister Nawas Sharif chairing a second high-level meeting on the Pathankot terror attack in Islamabad on Friday, Pakistan seems to be in no mood to take action against the attackers.
Pakistan thinks that the evidence shared by India - three phone numbers – are not enough to prove Pakistan's involvement in Pathankot terror attack. It wants India to share DNA samples of the slain terrorists.
The Times of India reported that two numbers - +92-3017775253 and +92 300097212 - to which calls were made by two of the six terrorists, who had attacked the crucial air base in Punjab, are from Pakistan.
Moreover, a day after intelligence sources claimed that India has identified Jaish-e-Mohammad chief Maulana Masood Azhar and three others as the mastermind of the Pathankot Air Force base terror attack, a report today confirmed that the two phone numbers to which calls were made by the perpetrators are from Pakistan.
Although India has made it very clear that the Nawaz Sharif government will have to act ahead of holding the foreign secretary-level talks, Pakistani authorities believe the evidence given by India will not stand in a court of law as they have serious doubts that Pathankot attackers came from Pakistan.
Media reports further say that Pakistan is expecting India to share DNA samples of the dead bodies of the terrorists killed in Pathankot. Sources have also ruled out a 'time-bound action' by Pakistan.
Meanwhile, Pakistan today said it has "reviewed progress" on the leads provided by India which has linked foreign secretary-level talks to Islamabad's decisive action on the Pathankot terror attack.
Meanwhile, in the ongoing investigations by National Investigation Agency (NIA) on the Pathankot terrorist strike, post mortem examinations of the bodies of the terrorists killed have been conducted at Pathankot civil hospital on 7 January 2016. Body tissues of the terrorists have been preserved for DNA sampling.
During investigations, DNA samples have been collected from the vehicles used by the terrorists and the same are being sent for forensic examination. Footprints suspected to be of the terrorists, have been lifted by forensic experts from Bamihal village in the border area and from within the Air Force station and have been sent to Central Forensic Science Lab (CFSL) for examination.
All the arms and ammunitions used by the terrorists in the attack have been seized. These include AK series rifles, pistols, grenades and assorted ammunition.
Other articles found on the bodies of the terrorists and from the crime scene and suspected to belong to the terrorists have been seized. These include food articles and medicines carried by the terrorists. Search of the Air Force station campus is being conducted to recover any trace evidence left behind by the terrorists.
NIA has summoned SP Salwinder Singh who claimed to have been abducted from a personal vehicle which was hijacked and later used by the terrorists on the night of 31 December 2015, to NIA headquarters for questioning in connection with the investigation.
Four NIA teams are camping in districts of Punjab to verify the facts and examine witnesses in close cooperation with Punjab Police.
