U.S. Kerry hopes Pakistan, India to continue talks despite terrorist attack

During his visit, which comes exactly one week after the pre-dawn attack on the frontline air base by the terrorists, Modi is likely to meet Indian Air Force (IAF) personnel at the base along with other troops in the area.

Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif at a high-level meeting held in Islamabad to discuss intelligence inputs from India on Pathankot attack, said goodwill generated by the recent high-level contacts should not be allowed to go haywire.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Sharif have been struggling to keep their renewed dialogue, announced last month, on track in the wake of the attack.

“World will see our effectiveness and sincerity in this regard”, Sharif was quoted as telling the U.S. Secretary of State.

However, Pakistan has said it needed “concrete evidence” from India for acting against the terrorists suspected of being involved in the Pathankot strike instead of leads suggesting the attack was planned and directed from its soil.

And now, an audio clip – featuring a monologue – has popped up on JeM websites, reportedly celebrating the Pathankot attack and mocking India.

It remains unclear how the attackers infiltrated the fortified base, which has a 24-km (15-mile) perimeter surrounded by a 3-metre (10-foot) wall topped with concertina wire.

Attempts to restart talks between India and Pakistan, who have fought three wars since becoming separate countries in 1947, have often been derailed by similar past attacks.

John Kerry hoped in telephonic talk with the Prime Minister that “talks between both countries will continue despite the fact that terrorists have tried to thwart it”, officials said in Islamabad.

The External Affairs Ministry had on Thursday also taken that line and said that the “ball was in Pakistan’s court now”.

They were in constant touch with the terrorists and coordinating their assault on the airbase from a control room set up at the outfit’s headquarters in Bahawalpur in Pakistan.

“We had extended a hand of friendship to Pakistan but we will not countenance cross-border terrorist attacks”, said Swarup.