Modi visits Pathankot airbase

US Secretary of State John Kerry telephoned Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and lauded his role in carefully tackling the prevailing situation in the wake of the recent gunmen attack on Indian air base.

Visiting Pathankot airbase a day after it was sanitised along with the country’s top security brass on Saturday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi conveyed to Pakistan that India is dead serious about the incident and wants to get to the bottom of the conspiracy.

The terrorist attack came just a little more than a week after Modi’s surprise visit to Lahore to greet Sharif on his birthday and to join celebration for the wedding ceremony of the Pakistan Prime Minister’s granddaughter.

Mr Sharif assured Secretary Kerry that Pakistan would swiftly and transparently investigate the matter and “bring out the truth”.

“World will see our effectiveness and sincerity in this regard”, he added. “I feel Pakistan military has come to a point where they have to downplay anti-India sentiment for direct monetary benefit from US”.

Modi called on Pakistan earlier in the week to take action against those behind the attack, in which six militants also died. They’ve stated openly that they’re not likely to discriminate between organizations.

The investigation agencies have reportedly found wrappers and packets of medicines and syringes bearing name of Karachi and Pakistan from a building at the Pathankot Air base, where terrorists had taken shelter during the attack.

Soon after the visit an Indian strategic air base was attacked in Pathankot, which was allegedly carried out by a terror outfit holding their base and operating from Pakistan.

While refusing to get into a debate on the timeframe for Pakistan to complete the investigation into the terrorist attack on the Pathankot air base, he stressed that the USA would “like them to be done as quick as possible and transparently discussed when it’s complete”.

The foreign secretaries of Pakistan and India will here on January 15, Sartaj Aziz, the prime minister’s advisor on foreign affairs, has said.

The US Secretary of State hoped talks between Pakistan and India would continue despite efforts to damage the process. However, the militants attack on the Pathankot airbase has raised doubts if the talks would be held. Latter on, on a sympathetic yet proud note PM talked to the family members of the security personnel who attained martyrdom, in the Pathankot attack.