ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Wednesday shared the preliminary findings of the Pulwama incident with India after examining the dossier over the matter and asked India to share further evidence.
According to an official handout issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, “The Indian high commissioner in Islamabad was called to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs by the foreign secretary and the findings on the Pulwama incident were shared with him.”
Earlier, Prime Minister Imran Khan had offered cooperation in the investigation if India shared credible evidence with Pakistan. In response to this offer, a dossier was handed over to Pakistan on February 27. Pakistan acted responsibly and extended full cooperation to its neighbour.
“We do so in the interest of regional peace and security. We have sought further information and evidence from India to take the process forward,” the handout stated.
An official told Pakistan Today on the condition of anonymity that the dossier handed over to Pakistan by India was inadequate and vague. There were only a few names and it carried nothing concrete about the attacker or his handlers, the official added.
“We will take further actions, if necessary, once we get more information or evidence from across the border,” the official concluded.
Tensions between Pakistan and India escalated dramatically on February 14 when a young Kashmiri rammed an explosives-laden car into an Indian paramilitary convoy, killing at least 44 soldiers. India was quick to blame Pakistan for the suicide bombing.
PM Khan offered every possible help in the investigation, but India turned down the offer and whipped up war hysteria.
On February 26, the Indian Air Force (IAF) violated Pakistani airspace. The country’s top civil and military leadership declared the violation of airspace by Indian fighter jets “uncalled for aggression” and decided that the country would respond at a “time and place of its choosing”.
On February 27, Pakistan announced it had shot down two Indian fighter jets that attempted to violate its airspace and captured an Indian pilot. The military’s media wing later released a video of the pilot, who introduced himself as Wing Commander Abhinandan bearing service number 27981.
A few hours later, PM Khan took the nation into confidence over the armed forces’ response. As escalating tensions fuelled concerns of all-out war between nuclear-tipped Pakistan, the prime minister warned of catastrophic consequences should “better sense” not prevail.
Pakistan later released the captured pilot as a peace gesture, drawing applause from the international community over its efforts for diffusing tensions.