ISLAMABAD (News Desk) – Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s special adviser on foreign affairs Sartaj Aziz has confirmed that one of the mobile phone numbers provided by Indian authorities was traced to an office of Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) in Bahawalpur.
The mobile phone number was allegedly in touch with the attackers during assault on Indian airbase in Pathankot on January 2 this year.
“Pakistan was investigating into the terrorist attack seriously and would bring the preparators to justice,” Aziz said in an interview with India Today.
He went on to say that registration of FIR in Pathankot case is a positive step and must be appreciated by India. The special investigation team of Pakistan will also visit India to interview Indian officials in the first week of March, he said.
To a question, he said that Jaish-e-Mohammad’s chief Moulana Masood Azhar and several other office barriers have been placed under protective custody since January 14.
Commenting about talks with Indian, Sartaj Aziz said that the ball was now in Indian court and that Pakistan wanted an earliest meeting between foreign secretaries of two countries which was cancelled in January.
Meanwhile reacting to Pakistan’s move towards registration of an FIR in Pathankot attack case, the Indian Defence Minister Manohar Parikar said that mere registration of FIR was not enough and that Pakistan should take some solid steps to bring preparators of the terrorist attack to justice.
“Registration of FIR in Pakistan is a positive step however more quick and result oriented steps are needed to be taken by Islamabad in investigation of Pathankot attack, the Indian Minister said in an interview with Aaj Tak News.
To a question Monohar Parikar reiterated that India will hit back at terrorists in Pakistan in its own way. The time and place will be of our choice, he went on to say.
Earlier, Pakistan registered an FIR in connection with Pathankot attack in Gujranwala Counter Terrorism Department Police Station under the sections 302, 309 and 301 of Pakistan Penal Code and section 7 of Anti-terrorism Act.
The interior ministry deputy secretary Aitzaz-uddin was main complainant of the FIR, which also stated the phone numbers provided by Indian intelligence agencies.
The police officials said that nobody was formally arrested in the case. The investigation team would now look into the case and if body arrested would be produced in court for trial, the police said.
A group of terrorists attacked Indian airbase in Pathankot and killed several military officials. All of the attackers were killed during cleanup operation.
