Sharif vows to complete probe into Pathankot terror, make report public

As India and Pakistan seek to take the dialogue process forward, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has vowed to complete the probe into the Pathankot terror attack and admitted that the terror attack disrupted the dialogue process between the two countries. The Pathankot terror attack, which took place early January, threatened to derail the dialogue process between India and Pakistan, but the two countries showed a new maturity this time round, and decided mutually to reschedule of the meeting of the foreign secretaries of the two countries. If Pakistan takes demonstrable action against perpetrators of the Pathankot airbase assault in the next few days, the meeting between the foreign secretaries could take place as early as Feb 4-6 in Islamabad, informed sources indicated.

“It is our responsibility to uncover if our soil was used in the attack. We will do this and the ongoing investigations will soon be completed,” Mr Sharif said. “The investigation into the Pathankot incident is underway and we will make its findings public soon,” he added. Mr Sharif also spoke about how the dialogue process was heading in the right direction after Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj had visited Pakistan in December 2015.

Promising to conclude the investigations into the Pathankot attack, Mr Sharif said, “Whatever facts come out we will bring them forth before everyone.” Mr Sharif had formed a six-member committee headed by Additional Inspector General of Punjab’s Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) to probe the Pathankot attack.

With international pressure on Pakistan to bring the terror perpetrators to justice, Pakistan has been claiming that it is serious in combating terror. “Terrorists were being defeated and in desperation, they were carrying out isolated acts to make their presence felt,” Mr Sharif said. He also promised to go to “any length” to bring the perpetrators “to book”.

Pakistan has been severally criticised by the international community for not doing enough to contain terror groups active on its soil. The Pathankot attack has made it even more challenging for Pakistan to prove its seriousness in combating terror.

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