NEW DELHI: As uncertainty looms over the probe on the Pathankot air base attack that killed seven Indian soldiers in January, India on Tuesday alleged that the Pakistan government is linked to the attack.
India had previously blamed militants from Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) for the assault on the Pathankot air base in the northern state of Indian Punjab, which triggered two days of gunbattles.
But on Tuesday the Indian defence minister said the militants could not have carried out the attack without Islamabad's support.
Related: Pathankot JIT to complete air base attack probe this week: Tariq Fatemi
“Pakistan's non-state actors were definitely behind the attack. Also, no non-state actor from there (Pakistan) can function smoothly without the state's support,” India's Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar told the parliament.
“The entire details of the attack will only come out in the National Investigation Agency (NIA) investigation,” he maintained.
Related: Jaish's Masood Azhar under 'protective custody', confirms Punjab Law Minister
Foreign affairs adviser Sartaj Aziz had earlier revealed that one of the mobile phone numbers linked to those who attacked the Pathankot airbase had been traced to the Jaish-e-Mohammed group’s headquarters in Bahawalpur.
Aziz called the lodging of the FIR in connection with the Pathankot assault a “logical and positive step” in bringing the perpetrators to justice.
JeM chief Masood Azhar has been named by India as the mastermind of the airbase attack and Mr Aziz confirmed media reports that he (Azhar) had been under “protective custody” since Jan 14.
He had said that a Special Investigation Team (SIT) from Pakistan may visit Pathankot in the first few days of March to probe the attack and that his country was pursuing the investigation seriously.
The attack on Pathankot air base came days after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's surprise visit to Pakistan in December.
The incident led to the postponement of peace talks planned between the two countries.
The foreign secretaries of the two countries had been scheduled to meet in January, however, no fresh date has been announced.
Read more
Pathankot attack: phone number traced to Jaish office, says Aziz
Pathankot air base attack: FIR registered in Gujranwala against attackers, abettors
Pakistan not serious about Pathankot probe: Indian minister
Will Jaish crackdown salvage Pakistan, India talks?
Parrikar not to speak to media for six months
Pakistan arrests Jaish members in connection with India air base attack
Comments (113) Closed
Mar 01, 2016 05:45pm
& the drama continues, have just had enough with this!!!!!
If india so desperately wants to be the big brother in the region, it should learn to act like one. Stop being a bully for a change.
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Mar 01, 2016 05:48pm
Monohar Prrikar, never ever hear a sensible statement from this guy.
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Mar 01, 2016 05:50pm
get it right Minister, its non-state actors from both India and Pakistan who do not want peace - and that may include some politicians.
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Mar 01, 2016 05:51pm
Mr. Manohar Parrikar, what about the terrorism happening in Baluchistan ? Is it happening without the backing and full support of New Delhi ?
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Mar 01, 2016 05:52pm
NS government, this is what you have bring to us?
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Mar 01, 2016 05:52pm
Complete nonsense!!!
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Mar 01, 2016 05:54pm
@Farhan Hamid - What is the big brother act in this? This is the truth. Accept the reality
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Mar 01, 2016 05:55pm
Pressure tactics. ...
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Mar 01, 2016 05:56pm
Mr. Parikar needs to question BSF (Border Security Force) first, that how did the terrorists manage to enter.
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Mar 01, 2016 05:58pm
Stop Indian supported terrorism in Pakistan.
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Mar 01, 2016 05:58pm
So, honourable minister, who is supporting terrorism and devastation in Pakistan then?
By your logic the answer is an obvious one. Isn't it, minister?
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Mar 01, 2016 06:00pm
are we not making overtures of peace? are we not investigating at our end? sending investigators to your soil? bending over backwards?
sawal to yeh hai ke "aap chahtey kya hain aakhir?"
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Mar 01, 2016 06:00pm
Finally someone says it like it is. Bravo, Mr. Parikkar.
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Mar 01, 2016 06:03pm
Are monohar parrikar & swamy subramaniyam step brothers?
These two guys do not deserved the post or fame what they are getting. Why he is giving immature comment while sushma swaraj dealing the matter with PM.
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Mar 01, 2016 06:08pm
Was it possible without local help and logistic support
to the attackers? NIA has failed to find or hiding the facts.
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Mar 01, 2016 06:11pm
Our Defence Minister is busy in managing Pakistan Airways. He don't have time to respond to the threats from across the border.
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Mar 01, 2016 06:13pm
This time when the government of Pakistan is acting sensibly this person called Parikar wants no peace.
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Mar 01, 2016 06:13pm
He rightly said that attack is not possible without the support of Govt. but wrongly said Islamabad, it is actually support of Delhi.
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Mar 01, 2016 06:14pm
Agree with the ministers assessment.
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Mar 01, 2016 06:14pm
Excellent, so when is India going to accept its role for non state actor lead terrorism across Pakistan?
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Mar 01, 2016 06:14pm
and we are sending our cricket team to their country alas
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Mar 01, 2016 06:17pm
India have to blame Pakistan as they have no other way to hide the incompetence of their security agencies.
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Mar 01, 2016 06:18pm
Please go away and do something constructive rather than tossing blame on Pakistan for anything and everything that goes wrong in India.
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Mar 01, 2016 06:21pm
...and after this would any Pakistani take seriously an investigation into the incident. Why should we bother wasting time, money and and energy when india has already made up its mind?
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Mar 01, 2016 06:22pm
This guy has been put in place for nothing but just for confrontations!
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Mar 01, 2016 06:25pm
Every time same, old, baseless story by India.
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Mar 01, 2016 06:29pm
@Shahram did you find any clue or any attackers from India?? But India priveded call list which points to inside Pakistan..
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Mar 01, 2016 06:30pm
Let me get my popcorn, the Indian drama is on.
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Mar 01, 2016 06:31pm
@Subh - Propaganda is not "truth", its dirty politics! If the politicians don't come to their senses both nations are capable of damaging the other with proxy wars...but such instability in the region will be insane and self-defeating.
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Mar 01, 2016 06:32pm
@Farhan Hamid - "...it should learn to act like one. Stop being a bully for a change..."
Old habits die hard.
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Mar 01, 2016 06:33pm
India must learn how to combat terrorism, strengthen its own internal intelligence and security mechanisms, instead of playing the blame game all the time. And combat effectively against the radicalisation of its own youth by terrorist ideology.
Pakistan is already doing more than enough to fight terrorists and already paid a high price for fighting against international terrorism and made a great sacrifice. The problem is India has incompetent defence ministers who lacks experience and should stop un-necessary and stupid war of words.
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Mar 01, 2016 06:34pm
All pressure tactics to influence the ongoing talks between USA and Pakistan. Ever since this BJP government came into power, futile efforts are being made to pressurise Pakistan. Fruitless exercise.
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Mar 01, 2016 06:36pm
Ignore these statements. If no one gives attention to India for two weeks they start doing their attention seeking manoeuvres.
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Mar 01, 2016 06:41pm
How easily Indian Defense Minister is putting his failure to others!!!! So called Asian giants unable to accept his failure!!!
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Mar 01, 2016 06:45pm
If Pakistan really wants to be away from the mess it should tell to India this happened on your soil you must take care of it, we don't want to be involved. Otherwise it will be just like USA will always ask "do more" and it will never end.
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Mar 01, 2016 06:51pm
Very true and fair statement by the Indian minister.
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Mar 01, 2016 06:52pm
Absolutely not a sensible statement from defense minister. Here we go again.
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Mar 01, 2016 06:54pm
Why readers here get instigated by political statements? Why do we get driven? Why can't we be sure of what we want irrespective of what politicians in any of our country says?
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Mar 01, 2016 06:55pm
Pakistan and India can't live peacefully with each other, because of pathetic and stubborn extremist politicians of India.
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Mar 01, 2016 07:00pm
This statement needs to be put in dustbin by Pakistan.
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Mar 01, 2016 07:00pm
Here we go again.
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Mar 01, 2016 07:08pm
Like so many attacks on Pakistan, terrorist attacks, aren't possible without Indian's government approvals, It's advisable to India to start solving its own internal problems rather than imagining Pakistan for every evil happening to India.
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Mar 01, 2016 07:11pm
Governments on both sides are incompetent and hoodwinking the masses. After a passage of some time they orchestrate such dramas to divert attention of the masses from the real issues of corruption, and bad governance. They are using the label of democracy but in reality they are fake democrats. had they possessed any sense they would have resolved the decades long Kashmir issue which has been sucking the blood of the people on both sides.
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Mar 01, 2016 07:12pm
thanks for stating the obvious
likewise TTP and BLA cant function without Indian help from across the border
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Mar 01, 2016 07:13pm
An avoidable statement, when Pakistan appears to be sincere.
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Mar 01, 2016 07:14pm
@Rajeev well this is exactly what the politicians are paid for.
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Mar 01, 2016 07:17pm
@Ejaz Ahmed : In case you can prove that the guys are from India than you can blame India.
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Mar 01, 2016 07:25pm
simple is that Indian government didn't want peace because these kind of statements shows Modi vision to interrupt the peace process and couldn't helpful to investigations
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Mar 01, 2016 07:25pm
Pak is on the right track and needs support instead of these irresponsible statements. India needs to stop breathing down Pak's neck and be a partner instead of an obstacle.
I believe with such statements these people have some sinister plans in mind which could be to maintain the status quo because peace may not be beneficial to them.
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Mar 01, 2016 07:27pm
All this drama is controlled by America finally .now Democrats are all set to lose elections in America so all regional parties are back to domestic goodwill hunting instead of trying for Nobel peace prize by resolving bilateral disputes.Tea party stands over .
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Mar 01, 2016 07:32pm
@Rehmani Don't you think that this statement is part of to combat with terrorism.
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Mar 01, 2016 07:41pm
India exerting pressure to get its desired outcome
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Mar 01, 2016 07:41pm
Keep chanting the mantra, that is how 'truths' are fabricated.
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Mar 01, 2016 07:44pm
India needs to be given a shut up call by Pakistan, enough is enough,
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Mar 01, 2016 07:47pm
This is crazy but at least they have the guts to say it. Our politicians are too quiet. We shud also learn to give them jawab
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Mar 01, 2016 07:49pm
@UncutTruth there is no evidwnce its very shameful for your minister to just blame based on probability.
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Mar 01, 2016 07:53pm
India showing her real face again.
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Mar 01, 2016 07:54pm
India blames actually what it is sponsoring in Pakistan.
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Mar 01, 2016 07:58pm
There you go Nawaz Shareef! You are wasting time and effort with these Indians.
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Mar 01, 2016 08:04pm
Parrikar is 200% right.
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Mar 01, 2016 08:08pm
BJP politics centred around hate towards Pakistan. Once a weak frustrated statement from Defence Minister, Himachal Govt. refused to provide security for India Pak match at Dharamshala, BJP leaders call to cancel the match. All signs of frustration.
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Mar 01, 2016 08:09pm
@Putho Mamon;
'Agree with the ministers assessment.'
Me too, but I have a different government in mind, New Delhi is up to it's old tricks.
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Mar 01, 2016 08:12pm
The concept of "Aman ki asha" is nothing but a fantasy that someone dreamed up.
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Mar 01, 2016 08:18pm
It's also not possible for the terrorists to enter the heavily guarded air force base WITHOUT any "inside" help. Care to elaborate on this also Mr. Defense Minister?
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Mar 01, 2016 08:18pm
I wonder why doesn't the minister put his own house in order instead of repeatedly passing on the buck to our govt. every time something happens in India.
Mr. Manohar needs to understand that their foreign policy in Kashmir has a direct link to all such attacks on security/strategic targets. Perhaps time is near to revise their Kashmir colonialism and have sensible dialogue with them.
And yes, Pakistan would continue to put its house in order instead of blaming external agents for the terrorism.
Seeing India's defense imports it should be clear what their priorities are.
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Mar 01, 2016 08:29pm
@Alam You are factually wrong. Himachal Pradesh is governed by Congress....
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Mar 01, 2016 08:32pm
The attack certainly was possible without Islamabad's support. India is not serious about peace accords.
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Mar 01, 2016 08:33pm
Oh yeah? what about Samjhota Ezpress?
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Mar 01, 2016 08:34pm
Or maybe just the Indians are hiding their security failures and incompetence
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Mar 01, 2016 08:36pm
Time for Pakistan to show real involvment of 'state of India' in Balochistan, FATA, Karachi etc. There are solid proofs! Pakistan have been lenient in this regard just for the sake of talks but India is not respecting that...
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Mar 01, 2016 08:44pm
Without proof, Indian government makes official statement. I mean, it's more like what's next??
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Mar 01, 2016 08:50pm
And the Cat is out of the Bag.
Just a tactic to put pressure on Pakistan during its Nuclear Talks with US.
Pakistan Government would be living in fool's paradise to think they can warm up relationship with India with BJP's Government in power. This is no longer Atal Behari Vajpaee, this is Narendra Modi.
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Mar 01, 2016 08:54pm
Bangladesh was not possible without blatant Indian involvement.
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Mar 01, 2016 08:58pm
Indian goverment and their political agent is always keep blaming pakistan
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Mar 01, 2016 09:41pm
These kind of provocative statements will eventually make Pakistan take a firm stand on doing nothing. What is the point n making these statements when Govt is trying to deal with this issue. In Pakistan such statements are considered bullying and won't acheive anything.
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Mar 01, 2016 09:45pm
the GoP registers an fir and this is what it gets. why does every body in the world demand more and more of pakistan and then doesn't give a damn
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Mar 01, 2016 09:48pm
@Farhan Hamid iF Pakistan wants to be a younger brother, they better start acting like one.
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Mar 01, 2016 09:51pm
What a serious joke?
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Mar 01, 2016 09:58pm
Mr. Minsiter it is your own arrogance and stubbornness that is the cause of inciting these non state actors against you. Eliminate the cause,and u know what it is, the effect will atomatically ceased to be exist. Moreover, the "hands"your own government is not as clean as you want to show it to the world. Much of the mischief which the world finds on our soil is because of your secret manoeuvrings and the assistance which you are providing in order to destabilize our country. Is this justifiable to a least extent in spite the fact that we have not provided any chance to you to blame us from the very begining. The annals of your involvement from the conspiracy to break our country to supporting the terrorists wrecking hell on our side is not now a secret buddy. So stop and start to mend your own ways and have pity on the poor people living on both sides of the boarder beacuse it is the lack of vision and your inability to see the reality that millions of people are living in the hell.
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Mar 01, 2016 10:25pm
For gods sake......both India and Pakistan.........GROW UP
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Mar 01, 2016 10:34pm
India should focus on its massive security failures rather than trying to blame Pakistan
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Mar 01, 2016 10:34pm
first of all the question is how did they(terrorist) came in the indian territory. ......how they managed it......first to be put our house in order.......
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Mar 01, 2016 10:48pm
This minister has a history of making tall claims. He's a loose canon who doesn't necessarily speak for the government. Remember that Modis government is not a United front. His minister have a habit of making crazy allegations and statements without approvals from above.
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Mar 01, 2016 10:57pm
It is unfortunate that the responsibility falls on us in Pakistan. The government of Pakistan needs to be strong and vigilant enough so no one ever can attack our neighboring countries from our soil.
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Mar 01, 2016 11:02pm
Somewhere in the next 100 years, peace might just happen between India and Pakistan, but, till then, this ding-dong battle is going to continue.....:)
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Mar 01, 2016 11:16pm
What are the results of Polygraph tests (lie detector tests) on the Police SP whose was hijacked by the Pathankot attackers?
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Mar 01, 2016 11:33pm
@Alam we take pride in our defense minister
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Mar 01, 2016 11:43pm
@Iqbal Malik I agree with you
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Mar 01, 2016 11:45pm
It's a self check time of the old policies of assisting such elements in the country. Let them be behind bar and progress should take the lead.
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Mar 01, 2016 11:47pm
@M.S.
Any concrete proof.
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Mar 02, 2016 12:47am
As expected the blame was to be on Pakistan. Going by this, TTP/BLA must have support of NDS that is also linked with RAW, effectively making India one of the sponsor. Right? That's besides Indian minister's admittance of using TTP.
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Mar 02, 2016 01:02am
Innocent people are dying form both side. Finish this hate.
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Mar 02, 2016 01:58am
Please do't blame the NS govt. It's beyond their control!!
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Mar 02, 2016 02:20am
Masood Azhar remained in Indian jails and got released under very suspicious Plane hijacking, who knows he was made an agent in the jail by Indians which is very normal procedure, same tactics was used with Guantanamo bay detainees, they were released and they played havoc with Pakistan.
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Mar 02, 2016 04:14am
Nothing is possible in India without our help good or bad ? How come this country of more than a 100 million blames its small neighbors all that nobsense ?
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Mar 02, 2016 06:23am
Pakistani leaders need to be responsive to such charges by Indians and put them in place appropriately.
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Mar 02, 2016 09:20am
Keep yelling! No body takes you serious.
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Mar 02, 2016 10:40am
The foreign office now should give the statement that if Islamabad had support then the whole base would have been demolished from the earth.
You will not been having the chance to blame.
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Mar 02, 2016 10:57am
Even though Pakistan handled this case with more then deserving seriousness, indians in the end rolled back everything and bluntly blamed us without putting any evidences on the table. Back to square 1..
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Mar 02, 2016 11:08am
Parikar is very learned person and best minister in last couple of decades. His statement comes after proofs and statistics.
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Mar 02, 2016 01:09pm
what irresponsible statement it is?? whenever Pakistan want to move seriously forward and improve relations such statement come from india....what does that mean ? when u r blaming and govt and expecting same to cooperate with you..? why don't they get mature terrorism is our common problem whose root cause is Kashmir issue. like this mindset we will be solving same problem even after 500 years.
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Mar 02, 2016 01:33pm
As if some big news! Every Indians and other countries know about this. Only politicians keep their eyes closed for selfish reasons.
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Mar 02, 2016 02:23pm
Dear Minister, Please stop blaming Pakistan for every mess in your country. Accept your lake of deficiency to tackle all such issues.
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Mar 02, 2016 02:38pm
So as per India , Government of Pakistan carried out the terrorist attack ? That's a very serious allegation indeed.
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Mar 02, 2016 02:40pm
Such a reckless statement by an Indian while Pakistan is investigating the Pathankot case shows just how "serious" India is about peace and dialogue.
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Mar 02, 2016 02:53pm
@Harmony-1© These proxy wars will damage Pakistan more than India which is already 10 times more stronger than Pakistan economically.
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Mar 02, 2016 03:31pm
@subh ~ what about the indian terrorism in Pk then?
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Mar 02, 2016 03:51pm
Return our pigeon Mr. Indian Defence Minister.
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Mar 02, 2016 04:37pm
why don't Indians investigate their poor security.
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Mar 02, 2016 05:07pm
Is this man educated?
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Mar 02, 2016 05:28pm
Can Indian Defense minister stop blaming for every attack in India. Have they looked into a Occupied Kashmir party which claimed the responsibility?
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Mar 03, 2016 12:24am
India has a problem with Nepal, sri Lanka, Bangladesh!!
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Mar 03, 2016 03:36pm
If this is true, same can be said about kamra air base attack, PNS mehran attack, ghq attack, they were all backed by Delhi , were they??
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