LAHORE: In what appeared to be a surprising move, Pakistan lodged on Friday an FIR against the four alleged attackers of the Pathankot airbase in India and their accomplices.

India has alleged that Pakistan’s territory was used for the Jan 2 terrorist attack and has been pressurising Pakistan to act against the people involved in it.

The Counter-Terrorism Depart­ment (CTD) of Punjab police lodged the FIR in Gujranwala police station against the alleged attackers under sections 302, 324 and 109 of the Pakistan Penal Code and sections 7 and 21-I of the Anti-Terrorism Act.

“It has been informed by the National Security Adviser (NSA), India, Ajit Doval, that on Jan 2 four persons entered the premises of Pathankot airbase and resorted to heavy firing, resulting in the death of seven personnel. The attackers also were killed in the ensuing gunbattle. It has been further reported by the Indian NSA that these attackers had probably crossed the border from adjacent to Pathankot general area,” the FIR read.

It stated that while inside India they had been making phone calls to Pakistan from phone numbers used for the communication. The NSA claimed that these persons belonged to a proscribed organisation, said the FIR lodged by Aizazuddin, deputy secretary of the Ministry of Interior.

“In order to investigate this high-profile case afresh, the government will soon form a new joint investigation team (JIT) comprising security and military officials,” an official privy to the development told Dawn.

The previously notified JIT headed by CTD Punjab’s Additional IG Rai Tahir, he said, would stand dissolved after the formation of the new investigation team.

Published in Dawn, February 20th, 2016