India to work out modalities for Pakistan investigation team’s visit

A day after India’s External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj confirmed the visit of Pakistan’s Joint Investigation Team to India to probe the Pathankot attack, the government has said that the modalities will be worked out once the team arrives in India. Speaking on the issue, India’s Home Minister Rajnath Singh said: “I have come to know through media that the Pakistan team is coming. We are fully prepared.”

Asked whether the Pakistan probe team will be given access to the Pathankot airbase to investigate the terror attack, Mr Singh replied that modalities will be worked out once they arrive in India. The Pathankot attack, which took place on January 2, has derailed the peace process between India and Pakistan. Mrs Swaraj and Pakistan’s Foreign Affairs advisor Sartaj Aziz have recently discussed the Pathankot issue in Pokhara (Nepal), on the sidelines of the SAARC Council of Ministers meet. Pakistan has agreed to send the probe team to India on March 27.

While there has been no official statement on which places exactly the probe team will visit to investigate the attacks, MoS Home Affairs Kirren Rijiju said: “India will allow a Pakistan probe team to visit wherever necessary in connection with the probe into the terror attack on Pathankot airbase.”

Pakistan had to fast-track the investigations after pressure from the international community to take concrete action against Pakistan-based terror groups responsible for the attacks. India says that the terror group Jaish-e-Mohammad carried out the Pathankot attacks. It has already given evidence related to the attack to Pakistan.

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