ISLAMABAD: The Joint Investigation Team (JIT) probing the Pathankot air base attack earlier this year will complete its investigation this week, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Tariq Fatemi said Monday, Radio Pakistan reported.

There are currently two JITs probing the attack. A six-member investigation team was formed by the federal government to investigate the case soon after the attack, while a five-member JIT was constituted by the Punjab government last week after a First-Information Report (FIR) was filed by the Punjab Counter-Terrorism Department against the attackers at a Gujranwala police station.

The FIR was filed after Indian Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar accused Pakistan of "pretending to sleep" and not being serious about the probe into the air base attack.

Adviser to Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz last week revealed that one of the mobile phone numbers linked to the Pathankot airbase attackers had been traced to the Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) group’s headquarters in Bahawalpur.

JeM chief Masood Azhar has been named by India as the mastermind of the airbase attack and Sartaj had confirmed media reports that Azhar had been under “protective custody” since Jan 14.

He the FIR filed by the CTD had created legal basis for a Special Investigation Team (SIT) of Pakistan to visit India to collect evidence. The SIT may visit Pathankot in the first few days of March to probe the attack, he said, adding that India had agreed to the SIT visit.

Opinion

Rule by law

Rule by law

‘The rule of law’ is being weaponised, taking on whatever meaning that fits the political objectives of those invoking it.

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