Pakistan arrests suspects involved in Pathankot attack

The Indian Home Minister, Rajnath Singh said on Tuesday there was no rationale to turn-down Pakistan’s assurances that it would take action against those responsible for the Pathankot attack. Further investigations are underway, ” it added. Security forces killed six terrorists who were believed to be from Pakistan.

The statement said an investigation into the incident has made “considerable progress”, leading to the arrest of several individuals from the Jaish-e-Mohammad militant group.

In a surprise move, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also visited Lahore on December 25 to greet his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif on his birthday.

India has provided “specific and actionable information” to Pakistan.

The terrorists were said to have crossed the India- Pakistan border in Punjab and reached the strategically crucial air base and carried out the attack.

Security analyst Talat Masood told AFP the suggestion Pakistan could send a team shows Islamabad was making a “genuine and sincere” effort to find out who was responsible, and “wants to fully cooperate with India”.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s Advisor on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz has said that the foreign secretary talks would be held on January 15.

The decision to frame the JIT, including authorities from Intelligence Bureau (IB), Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and Military Intelligence (MI), was taken at an abnormal state meeting led by Sharif as of late, the Express Tribune said.

The Pathankot also attack coincided with a 25-hour siege near an Indian consulate in Afghanistan that left at least one policeman dead and 11 others wounded. It seems that Pakistan is not interested to improve the relations with India.

Talking to NDTV, Mr Doval said talks would take place “only if Pakistan takes action” against those behind the Pathankot terror attack.

“As of now, it is unlikely that the foreign secretary talks will be postponed”, said a North Block official.

On the foreign secretary-level talks, Doval has said that it won’t happen if Pakistan does not act against the Pathankot attack masterminds.