The five-member Pakistani Joint Investigation Team (JIT) on Tuesday visited the strategic Indian Air Force (IAF) base in Pathankot that was for most part visually barricaded as scores of Congress and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) workers held protests outside, carrying black flags and shouting slogans against their probe into the January 2 terror attack.
Top National Investigation Agency (NIA) officials briefed the team about the terror attack in which seven security personnel were killed. At least four terrorists believed to be from Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terror group were killed by the security forces.
The team that arrived in Amritsar in the morning from Delhi in a special plane was taken to Pathankot by road to avoid giving it an aerial view of the strategic base. The 118 km journey was covered by the team in six bullet proof vehicles. Amid reports that terrorists may target the team in Pathankot, Punjab Police had deployed its SWAT commandos along with the team. Adequate police presence ensured that none of the political parties could stage any protest to block the way of the team.
The administration had already deployed heavy police force in the city and along the Amritsar - Pathankot National Highway to provide traffic-free route to the JIT.
This is the first time that a Pakistani team has visited India to probe a terror case and has been given access to a strategic installation amidst strong criticism from Opposition parties who accused the Narendra Modi Government of giving unfettered access to the JIT that also dilutes India’s stand that terrorism is sponsored from across the border.
However, the BJP claimed that Pakistan for the first time had assured India of action against terrorists who used its territory for planning the attack and accused the Congress of criticising the JIT’s visit to India due to “political malice”.
Meanwhile, during the JIT’s four-hour-long visit, most of the airbase was completely covered with white curtains to prevent a view of the valuable Defence assets.
The JIT entered the airbase through a specially-created entrance at the perimeter wall, which was breached by the terrorists on the fateful night.
At the airbase, the NIA officers showed the JIT the ‘scene of crime’ which was witness to an 80-hour-long gunbattle in which at least four terrorists were also gunned down.
The team was also taken to other places relevant to the case, including the Unjh River, from where the JeM terrorists had crossed over into the town.
The team was taken from the air base to Koliyan village area where Punjab Police former SP Salwinder Singh, his friend Rajesh Verma and cook Madan Gopal were abducted by the terrorist in their blue beacon SUV.
They were also taken to Gulpur village where SP and his cook were dumped by terrorists. Then the team was taken to Tajpur village where finally the SUV in which Rajesh in injured condition was found.
The team also visited ‘Kathlor ka pul’ where driver Ikagar was killed besides ‘Narot Jaimal Singh’ where Salwinder’s vehicle was abandoned.
The team could not go to the forward post in Bamial as the BSF had reservations over that keeping in view the strategic importance and presence of underground bunkers in that area.
Away from the media glare, the NIA team, led by Inspector-General of Police Sanjiv Singh briefed them about the investigations carried out so far in the case and the entire process was videographed and photographed by two IAF personnel.
The Pakistani JIT is led by Punjab’s Additional Inspector-General of Police, Counter Terrorism Department, Muhammad Tahir Rai and also includes ISI’s lt-Col Tanvir Ahmed.
The Pakistani team probing the Pathankot terror strike has conveyed to the NIA that it has the mandate to collect evidence in the case under that country’s law and as such there will be no judicial request for it.
The NIA has so far only shown the evidence to the JIT and they are yet to make a formal request for sharing it, official sources said.
According to Pakistani law cited by the JIT, when a citizen of Pakistan commits an offence at any place without and beyond the limits of that country, he may be dealt with in respect of such offence as if it had been committed at any place within Pakistan.
Pakistan is also yet to make a request for questioning witnesses in the case. “The witnesses will be made available only upon a request,” Director General of NIA Sharad Kumar said.
India plans to provide the Pakistani team access to all witnesses in the case barring the security personnel from NSG or BSF who participated in the gunbattle with the perpetrators of the Pathankot attack. The witnesses include Salwinder Singh, his jeweller friend Rajesh Verma, cook Madan Gopal and 17 injured people.
Earlier in the day, AAP’s Delhi Minister Kapil Mishra who arrived here with his supporters protested against the visit.
“For the first time in 35 years, we are saying that ISI was not supporting terrorism... The same people who have killed our people have come here...This is so shameful and disgusting,” Mishra said.
Mounting a fresh offensive over the visit on Tuesday, the Congress said the Modi Government has set a “wrong precedent” and wondered why ‘biryani’ was being served to the JIT which also includes an ISI representative.
However, the BJP countered the attack saying that Pakistan has for the first time admitted
that its territory was used for terror attack against India and its probe team’s visit to Pathankot strengthens the Centre’s stand on the incident.
“We have adequate evidence that Pakistani territory was used and terrorists based there were involved in the attack. They (Pakistan) said they want to send an investigation team. It only strengthens
our case and does not weaken it,” party national secretary Shrikant Sharma told a Press conference.
He said a probe team from Pakistan had visited Mumbai after the 26/11 terror attacks but nobody had opposed it then.
However, key BJP ally Shiv Sena joined Congress and AAP in attacking the Government over the issue.
Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut while terming the Government’s decision as “wrong” said rather an Indian team needs to be sent to Pakistan to probe those behind the terror strikes.