Pakistan to probe Pathankot attack for peace talks’ sake

• High-level meeting of civil and military leadership vows to carry out anti-terror campaign until complete elimination of terrorism
• Indian media report says Pakistan has demanded DNA evidence to prove attackers’ nationalities

Pakistan on Friday reiterated its commitment to cooperate with India on Pathankot terror attack in a bid to completely eradicate the menace of terrorism from the region.

The decision was taken after the country’s top civil and military leadership held a meeting presided over by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to review the regional situation.

While the meeting expressed Pakistan’s condemnation of the January 2 terror incident at the Indian Air Force (IAF) base in Pathankot, it also reviewed progress made on the information shared with Islamabad by the Indian government, sources said.

Further, it was decided in the meeting that constant contact should be maintained with the Indian government in this regard. The meeting expressed the confidence that building on the goodwill, generated by the recent high-level contacts, the two countries would remain committed to a sustained, meaningful and comprehensive dialogue process.

Meanwhile, the meeting affirmed Pakistan’s strong condemnation of terrorism in all forms and manifestations while noting with satisfaction that the country’s counter-terrorism campaign had made significant gains and the entire leadership and institutions are working in complete harmony against terrorism and extremism.

The participants of the meeting said that the people of Pakistan have evolved a political consensus for action against terrorists and terror outfits without any distinction, and have resolved that no terrorist would be allowed to use the country’s soil for carrying out terror activities anywhere in the world.

Chief of the Army Staff General Raheel Sharif, Minister for Finance Ishaq Dar, Minister for Interior Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, Adviser to PM on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz, National Security Adviser Lt-Gen (r) Nasser Janjua, Director General Inter-Services Intelligence Lt Gen Rizwan Akhtar, foreign secretary and DG military operations attended the meeting.

Soon after the IAF base attack, Pakistan said it is working on the ‘leads’ provided by the Indian government about attack in a significant move that may help keep the fragile thaw in frosty relations between the two neighbours intact.

PAKISTAN DEMANDS DNA EVIDENCE:

Meanwhile, Indian media outfit CNN-IBN reported on Friday that Pakistan is expecting India to share DNA evidence of the six militants New Delhi claims had come from Pakistan.

According to the channel’s source in Pakistan, Pakistani authorities believe that the evidence given by India on the terrorists who attacked the IAF airbase last week will not stand in a court of law.

“Pakistan is now expecting India to pass over DNA samples collected from the bodies of the six terrorists who are believed to have come from across the border,” the channel’s sources said.

According to the channel, another Pakistani official said the information provided by India was “not enough” as it was limited to telephone numbers and that Pakistan might ask for additional information.

“We would like to have solid information to build a case for action otherwise courts intervene and the suspects will be bailed out,” he added.

The channel said that authorities in Pakistan were also of the opinion that India is not serious about bilateral foreign secretary-level talks scheduled on January 15.

Earlier reports said India wanted the NSAs of the two countries to meet before foreign secretary-level talks are held.