Pathankot attack: JIT given proof of ‘Pak hand’

Shaurya Karanbir Gurung & Mukesh Ranjan

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, March 28

India today shared with Pakistan’s Joint Investigation Team (JIT) the details establishing Pakistan nationals’ role in the Pathankot air base attack as the team met Indian investigators.

The JIT members, it is learnt, did not raise objections to the evidences of the involvement of terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and other Pakistan nationals.

A day after their arrival, the JIT members reached the National Investigation Agency (NIA) headquarters, where they were briefed about the probe carried out so far.

After daylong deliberations with the team, NIA Director-General Sharad Kumar, while talking to The Tribune, said: “We are ready to share all information and evidences available with us as part of our investigation. Our probe is transparent and we have nothing to hide. But we need cooperation and reciprocity from Pakistan in the interest of the investigation to reach a conclusion.”

During the interaction, the Indian investigators gave a presentation to the visiting officials on the findings of the investigation so far.

India put forth evidences that allegedly linked JeM’s head Maulana Masood Azhar and the leadership to the attack, an NIA source said.

“We have evidences and intercepts of the conversations between the slain terrorists and their JeM bosses, including Azhar and his brother Rauf Asgar. We also have a video of Asgar declaring that he sent the terrorists,” said the source.

Right before the attack, Azhar was in contact with Asgar, the JeM’s commander, who was further in touch with their key planner and handler Kashif Jaan, explained the source. In most conversations, Kashif was talking to the terrorists from Bahawalpur in Pakistan. “He was dictating to them how the plan had to be executed. The JeM bosses, including Kashif, had escorted the terrorists to the point of infiltration into India,” said the source, adding India had sought voice samples of Azhar, Asgar and Kashif.

India also showed to the JIT photographs of the arms and ammunition — carried by the terrorists — allegedly bearing Pakistan marking, said the source. Clothes, medicines, shoes, food packets, thermal wear and even wire cutters were also allegedly brought from Pakistan.

One of the terrorists had spoken to his cousin and mother based in Pakistan before the attack, said the source. The NIA showed proof of this conversation to the JIT and demanded the DNA samples of the terrorist’s mother from Pakistan.

“We have shown them the evidences (in relation to the JeM and Pakistan’s link to the attack) and the JIT has not raised objections,” said an NIA officer. India had also sent Letter Rogatories (LRs) to Pakistan, seeking evidences in connection with the attack. India also asked the JIT to respond to the LRs, if they wanted to cooperate with the investigation.

While the NIA officer denied the Pakistan team making requests regarding the attack’s investigation, sources said the JIT demanded the call data records and the IMEI numbers of the mobile phones, belonging to Punjab Police Superintendent Salwinder Singh, his wife, gunman, the base commander of the Pathankot Air Force Station and others related to the case.

Singh with his jeweller friend Rajesh Verma and cook Madan Gopal were allegedly abducted on the night of December 31-January 1 by the terrorists, who had attacked the airbase on January 2. The JIT further demanded the sketch and the CCTV footage of the gun battle, a copy of an alert issued to the airbase, details of security measures taken by the base commander, said the source. It also wanted a report on the alleged border crossing and the BSF deployment along the International Border with Pakistan. The Pakistan team sought access to the Garud commandos, National Security Guards and any witnesses who have seen the terrorists. The team asked the Indian side to give the autopsy report, DNA samples and the details of itemsrecovered from the terrorists.