Tuesday, June 9, 2026
ADVT 
India

Pakistani Probe Team 'Already' In India

Darpan News Desk IANS, 26 Feb, 2016 11:52 AM
    The Pakistani probe team has already arrived in India to probe the Pathankot airbase attack in Punjab, an official said.
     
    Punjab counter-terrorism department chief Muhammad Tahir Rai, who heads the high-powered Joint Investigation Team (JIT), has reached India along with some other officials, The Nation quoted a senior official as saying on Thursday.
     
    A JIT formed on the orders of Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif formally started working last week, and its first meeting was convened in Lahore to discuss the case in detail, the report said.
     
    The Punjab province home department on Thursday also re-notified the JIT, ordering the investigators to submit the interim probe report to the court within two weeks.
     
    It was not clear if there was any change or the new notification retained the same members as that of the earlier JIT, which was constituted by the interior ministry in mid-January.
     
    A provincial government official confirmed that Tahir Rai, who is additional inspector general of police, has arrived in India and this move is being kept secret on both sides of the border.
     
    "What I can confirm is that Rai is in India right now. We can't tell how many officials accompany him," the official said on the request of anonymity.
     
    The official did not comment on the day the team left for India to probe the attack and for how many days it would be there.
     
    Jaish-e-Muhammad (JeM), a Pakistani militant outfit, was responsible for the attack on the airbase in Pathankot town on January 2.
     
    As many as seven security personnel were killed in the attack. The security forces also killed all six terrorists in over three days' operation.
     
    New Delhi said the fate of 'comprehensive dialogue process' -- started by both the countries recently to improve India-Pakistan ties -- depended on Islamabad's action against the perpetrators of the attack.
     
    Pakistan registered a case on the basis of leads provided by India and formed an investigation team comprising high-ranking officials of police and intelligence agencies.
     
    The counter-terrorism department (CTD) of Pakistan's Punjab province on Thursday lodged a case against six "non-state actors" for plotting the attack.
     
    Official sources in the Punjab home department said the JIT members during their visit to India would collect facts about the Pathankot attack.
     
    However, no information was provided weather the investigators was allowed to visit the Indian airbase as earlier New Delhi denied the team access to the airbase.
     
    One official said the team would also discuss modalities for carrying out joint investigations with their Indian counterparts.
     
    "Although no timeframe has been given to complete the probe, it is expected that the team will complete the investigations within 15 days," another official said.
     
    "If the probe remains incomplete after two weeks, the JIT may seek more time from the court since it is a matter of criminal procedure code."
     
    Earlier, four suspects were detained in connection with the phone numbers mentioned in the first information report.
     
    The investigators were examining the SIM registration and call data of the numbers. The mobile phone companies were asked to provide details of the persons using those phone numbers.

    MORE India ARTICLES

    AAP wants to form Delhi government, asks LG not to dissolve house

    AAP wants to form Delhi government, asks LG not to dissolve house
    The AAP Tuesday told Lt. Governor Najeeb Jung that it wants to form the government in Delhi, and asked him not to dissolve the legislative assembly for a week.

    AAP wants to form Delhi government, asks LG not to dissolve house

    Watch: Narendra Modi turns emotional breaks down in Central Hall of Parliament

    Watch: Narendra Modi turns emotional breaks down in Central Hall of Parliament
    An emotional Narendra Modi broke down while delivering his first speech after being formally appointed the leader of the BJP Parliamentary group committee

    Watch: Narendra Modi turns emotional breaks down in Central Hall of Parliament

    Manmohan Singh takes the entire blame, Sonia and Rahul's offers to quit rejected

    Manmohan Singh takes the entire blame, Sonia and Rahul's offers to quit rejected
    Manmohan Singh also said, "I take responsibility for the shortcomings of my government. We were not able to communicate satisfactorily with the people on the issues of price rise and corruption, and the situations that arose because of it." 

    Manmohan Singh takes the entire blame, Sonia and Rahul's offers to quit rejected

    Raising workers' morale among priorities for Congress

    Raising workers' morale among priorities for Congress
    Raising the morale of party workers, ideological consolidation, policy revamp and a sustained grassroots campaign are among the measures being suggested by Congress leaders to revive the party's fortunes after its crushing defeat in the Lok Sabha polls.

    Raising workers' morale among priorities for Congress

    Ceasefire Violation - Soldier killed, two injured in firing by Pakistani troops

    Ceasefire Violation - Soldier killed, two injured in firing by Pakistani troops
    A soldier was killed and two were injured in a guerrilla attack near the international border in Jammu and Kashmir Sunday, an official said Monday.

    Ceasefire Violation - Soldier killed, two injured in firing by Pakistani troops

    Modi steps up discussions over government formation

    Modi steps up discussions over government formation
    BJP's prime ministerial nominee Narendra Modi Sunday met senior party leader L.K. Advani as well as other leaders including from alliance partners as part of consultations aimed at formation of the new NDA government.

    Modi steps up discussions over government formation