Pathankot Probe: After JIT’s visit, NIA to send team to Pakistan

After the visit by a Pakistani Joint Investigation Team to probe the Pathankot attack, it is the turn of Indian investigators to visit Pakistan to take forward the probe into the Pathankot attack and to nail the role of Jaish-e-Mohammed behind the strike.

As the JIT’s five-day India visit ended Friday, it was officially handed over all evidence and recorded statements by witnesses. NIA director-general Sharad Kumar said Friday the dates for the proposed visit by an Indian probe team to Pakistan will be worked out later.

“We said a team of the National Investigation Agency could be sent to Pakistan for a probe in that country since the conspiracy had been hatched there. They welcomed the idea and (said) the dates will be worked out later,” he explained.

Mr Kumar said the NIA gave the JIT “concrete evidence” against JeM figures behind the attack and the handlers of terrorists who guided them. “The NIA also sought voice samples of some senior JeM office-bearers,” the NIA chief said, without naming anyone.

NIA sources they sought voice samples of Jaish chief Maulana Masood Azhar, his brother Abdul Rauf and Khayyam Babbar, mother of Nasir Hussain, one of the slain Jaish terrorists who called her just before the attack.