Pakistan FIR in Pathankot case signals progress
One baby step in the right direction That's how the First Information Report filed by Pakistan in the Pathankot terror case this past Thursday can be best described. A cynic may write it off as a meaningless gesture that will have little impact in the larger scale of things. And that might well be a correct assessment especially since the FIR names no suspects, even though the Special Investigation Team that did the initial investigation recommended in its report that Jaish-e-Mohammed and its chief Masood Azhar be listed. Importantly, this recommendation took into account the evidence that India had handed over to Pakistan. National Security Advisor Ajit Doval had specifically informed his Pakistani counterpart that persons from Pakistan may have slipped into this country and carried out the attack on the Indian Air Force base in Pathankot on January 2. It is possible that the report may still be part of the larger body of evidence placed before the court as and when the case goes to trial, but for now, the fact that neither JeM or Masood Azhar found a mention in the FIR is, no doubt, disappointing. Critics may take this line of argument one step further and argue that a thorough investigation or a fair trial after that, is unlikely; even more unlikely is a conviction that will be followed by stringent punishment, as Pakistan’s kid-glove treatment of lashkar-e-Tayyeba leader Zaki-ur-Rehman lakhvi stands proof.
But while these long term concerns surely remain, it is important to acknowledge that, in the short term, the filing of the FIR, even without the names, is still a sign of progress. It is a rare move by Pakistan; and shows that a combination of diplomatic pressure from the Narendra Modi Government (some of which was quite possibly routed through the Obama Administration) and some positive support from the Nawaz Sharif Government can, indeed, bring put deliverables on the table. In this context, it is important to underline that the SIT which did the initial investigation was formed on the orders of the Pakistani Prime Minister. It was a six-member team headed by the Additional Inspector General of Punjab's Counter-Terrorism Department. Now, the law Minister of Punjab has said that a new Joint Investigation Team will be formed for further investigation. Pakistan is also expected to request India for more information, and India may favourably consider Pakistan's request to allow its team to visit India for investigation. These are small but important steps towards building a conducive bilateral environment. On the diplomatic front, the FIR by Pakistan offers India the diplomatic space to re-start the Foreign Secretary-level dialogue which has been stalled since the attack. Also, Prime Ministers Modi and Sharif will both be in Washington, DC, later next month, and there is a strong possibility that the two might hold an official meeting. Here too, the FIR gesture will improve the optics of the talks.