"Intelligence Bureau's special team investigating Pathankot attack"

ISLAMABAD (Staff Report) - A special team of Intelligence Bureau (IB) is investigating the Pakistani connection with the terrorist attack on India's Pathankot airbase as New Delhi's pressure on Islamabad to take action against the preparators of attack is mounting everyday, sources privy to information said.

The team is working in coordination with other superior investigation agencies like Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) while a proposal of establishment of Joint Investigation Team (JIT) is also under consideration.

The directions of formation of special team were issued to IB after Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif chaired a meeting of his advisers Sartaj Aziz and Nasir Janjua; federal ministers Ishaq Dar and Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan; and Foreign secretary Aizaz Chaudhry.

The IB was instructed to look into the evidences provided by Indian government in connection with Pathankot airbase attack after New Delhi hinted at cancellation of January 15 meeting of foreign secretaries of two countries if Islamabad fails to move on terrorist attack probe.

"The meeting moved to take action against those who facilitated in attack on Indian airbase however it was also decided that New Delhi will be asked to provide more information as the previously given evidences were not enough," reliable sources told Daily Pakistan Global. The leadership concluded that scheduled meeting of foreign secretaries of Pakistan and India will be held at any cost.

The sources said that Indian side is continuously pushing Pakistan to take some steps to prove its seriousness towards bilateral cooperation against terrorists.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has also directed the foreign office officials and his adviser on national security Lt-General (r) Nasir Janjua to stay in contact with Indian counterparts to continuously exchange information in this regard.

Meanwhile Washington is also pressing the two countries to continue bilateral dialogue on all outstanding issues including the recent attack on Indian airbase in Pathankot.

Earlier this day an Indian newspaper published a report which said that secretary-level dialogue with Pakistan were cancelled and that New Delhi will talk to Islamabad only when the action against Pathankot airbase attackers will be taken.

The report quoted Ajit Doval as saying that meeting was scheduled on January 15 in Lahore however we have called off the meeting which was expected to lay down a road map of resumption of comprehensive dialogue.

However talking to an Indian TV channel via telephone, Doval said that he never said anything like this in interview with the newspaper. He said there was no such official or unofficial announcement about the scheduled meeting of foreign secretaries.

“I strongly deny the information published in the newspaper after my name,” he went on to say.

New Delhi wants Pakistan to quickly move on the leads provided by Indian intelligence agencies which confirm the link between Pakistan and Pathankot attackers, he said.