Pakistan team for Pathankot probe arrives March 27

Sushma, Sartaj hold ‘positive’ meet in Pokhara

A Pakistani joint investigation team will arrive in India on March 27 to carry forward its probe into the Pathankot terror attack, external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj said here Thursday after talks with Pakistan’s foreign affairs adviser Sartaj Aziz.

The Pathankot attack figured very high in the 20-minute meeting between Ms Swaraj and Mr Aziz, the first political-level engagement between the two countries after the January 2 terror strike in Pathankot. India has been pressing Pakistan to take action over the brazen assault on the key Indian Air Force base.

Ms Swaraj also accepted Pakistan’s invitation for Prime Minister Narendra Modi to visit Islamabad to attend the Saarc Summit to be held on November 9-10 this year.

“We talked on Pathankot also and I am happy to say the dates of the visit of the Joint Investigation Team have been fixed. They will reach India on (March) 27th night and will begin their work on 28th,” Ms Swaraj said in her joint address to the media with Mr Aziz after the two held discussions on the sidelines of the Saarc ministerial meet in this Nepalese resort.

She also said it was not possible to not discuss Pathankot at her meeting with Pakistan PM Nawaz Sharif’s foreign affairs adviser.

Asked if the JIT would visit the Pathankot airbase, Indian government sources said the modalities of the visit will be worked out in the coming days. Sources said that at the meeting between Ms Swaraj and Mr Aziz, Pakistan asked if March 27 works out for India. “Calls were made to both capitals and the dates were fixed,” a source said.

On his part, Mr Aziz complimented the way the Pathankot issue was handled and cooperation extended on both sides. He hoped this cooperation will pave the way for “good results”.

Mr Aziz also hoped that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Pakistan PM Nawaz Sharif will meet in the United States on March 31, on the sidelines of the Nuclear Security Summit in Washington. “Not sure whether there will be structured dialogue but hopeful that they will meet,” Mr Aziz said.

Ms Swaraj welcomed the “conducive environment” in which the Saarc meeting was held, and said: “Some issues which were unresolved between our two countries (India and Pakistan)... we have taken a decision on them in a very positive manner.” But it was not clear which issues she was referring to.

During his meeting with Ms Swaraj, Mr Aziz recalled the November 30 meeting between Mr Modi and Mr Sharif and said this was followed up by a meeting between the national security advisers of the two countries in Bangkok after six days.

“Three days later, Sushmaji arrived in Islamabad and it was decided that the comprehensive bilateral dialogue will restart. Prime Minister Modi also arrived in Lahore after that to wish Prime Minister Sharif. But the Pathankot attack became a hurdle,” he said, but added that he welcomed the cooperation on both sides after that.

Ms Swaraj said the main reason for Mr Aziz’s meeting with her was to extend the invitation for Mr Modi to visit Islamabad for the Saarc Summit. Mr Aziz said the Saarc meeting took place in a very cooperative atmosphere and decisions had been taken on all pending issues. “It is hoped from now till then (Saarc Summit in November), some issues in which work has to be done, will be done,” he added.

Earlier this year, a scheduled meeting between the foreign secretaries of India and Pakistan was postponed after the Pathankot attack for which India blames Pakistan-based terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed.

In New Delhi, meanwhile, minister of state for home Kiren Rijiju said Thursday that India would allow the JIT to visit wherever necessary over its probe into the attack on the Pathankot airbase. “We have taken an in-principle decision to facilitate the visit of a Pakistani team to India for furtherance of our case,” he told reporters. Asked if the Pakistani team will be given access to the strategic airbase, Mr Rijiju said: “We will allow them to visit wherever necessary.”

On reports that New Delhi has given clearance for visas for a six-member Pakistani team, Mr Rijiju said: “When a formal request will come, we’ll take a decision on visas.”

In Pokhara, Pakistan, hosts of the next Saarc Summit, on Thursday proposed the name of career diplomat Amjad Hussain B. Sial as the new secretary-general of Saarc. If his name is confirmed, Mr Sial will succeed incumbent secretary-general Arjun Bahadur Thapa of Nepal, whose three-year term will end in February 2017. Mr Sial had earlier served as director of Pakistan in the Saarc Secretariat from 2003 to 2006.