Talks with Pak put off until after probe: MEA

External affairs ministry spokesman Vikas Swarup said India viewed the crackdown on the Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) terrorist group in Pakistan as an “important and positive first step”.

Pakistan’s Punjab province Law Minister Rana Sanaullah on Thursday made it clear that that banned Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) chief Masood Azhar has been taken into “protective custody” along with his accomplices but he has not been arrested yet.

“We also note that the government of Pakistan is considering to send a special investigation team to India”.

Swarup also said both the Foreign Secretaries – S Jaishankar and Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry – had a telephonic conversation on Thursday and the decision on the impending talks was taken “mutually”.

The Foreign Secretary-level talks were scheduled to take place on January 15-16 in Islamabad.

“Based on the initial investigations in Pakistan, and the information provided, several individuals belonging to JeM have been apprehended”, the office of Prime Minister Sharif said.

Indian investigators had said they had traced phone contact between the attackers of the Pathankot airbase and members of the Jaish-i-Mohammad and the phone numbers were provided to Pakistan. “We are resolved to take this investigation to its conclusion”, the senior intelligence official said. India will provide JIT more evidence to nail the perpetrators of Pathankot airbase terror attack.

But the spokesman said he had no knowledge about Masood Azhar’s arrest.

The January 2 attack on the base in Pathankot was followed by a raid on an Indian consulate in Afghanistan that has also been linked to Jaish-e-Mohammad.

Talking to reporters in Islamabad, Pakistan foreign office spokesperson Qazi Khalilullah said he is “not aware of such arrests”. The two national security advisors are in regular touch over the probe and cross-border terror. Swarup added that the visit by the JIT is awaited, and the Indian security agencies will provide all relevant things to them to help them carry out the probe.

Speaking on DawnNews talk show “News Eye”, Sanaullah, while responding to a question, confirmed that Masood Azhar was taken into protective custody by the counter-terrorism department of Pakistan.

Mr. Swarup said India welcomed the statement issued yesterday by the Government of Pakistan on the investigations into the Pathankot attack.