The most awaited India-Pakistan foreign secretary talks scheduled for January 15 seem to be on the rocks in the wake of the Pathankot airbase attack. While Pak Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif quickly set up an inter-agency investigation team top probe the leads India provided it regarding the perpetrators of he attack, Indian National Security Adviser Ajit Doval has hinted that the talks may be called off. Pak authorities even carried out raids in Gujranwala, Jhelum and Bahawalpur districts, during which an unspecified number of people were arrested, said intelligence officers. Sources said the raids were seen as “positive signs” by the Indian establishment.
India had shared the identity of four Jaish-e-Muhammad handlers suspected to have guided the Pathankot attack, and furnished their phone numbers that showed up in intercepts of their conversation with the fidayeen who attacked the base. The four handlers have been identified as Abdul Rauf Asghar, brother of Jaish chief Maulana Masood Azhar, Ashfaq Ahmed, Haji Abdul Shaqur and Kashim Jaan. Maulana Masood Azhar has been named as the mastermind of the Pathankot terrorist attack. India later shared a fresh batch of evidence against the handlers, including transcript and picture Markaz where the attack was planned. “The terrorist attack on Pathankot airbase has once again put renewed focus on the challenge posed by cross border terrorism. The ball is in now Pakistan's court. The immediate issue in front of us is Pakistan's response to the terrorist attack,” the India's Ministry of External Affairs said.
However, recent reports in the Pakistani media claiming the phone numbers used by the Pakistani handlers were “unregistered” did not go down well New Delhi's throat. A source said, “According to our information, Pakistan's telecom rules do not allow phone numbers to be activated till biometrics are captured. How is it possible that the numbers are unregistered?” Government sources said the “assessment” of the action being taken by Pakistan will be done by the security establishment under the NSAs' watch before it is decided whether foreign secretary S Jaishankar travels to Islamabad on January 15.
“The leads were shared by the NSA and the security agencies are best equipped to assess the progress made by the Pakistan’s establishment in their investigations. So, by Wednesday, a call will be taken on the Foreign Secretary-level talks,” said a source. India's National Security Advisor Ajit K Doval is going to France as part of preparations ahead of French President Francois Hollande’s visit to India for the Republic Day celebrations. Jaishankar went to Maldives on Monday and will be headed to Colombo on Tuesday, before returning to Delhi on Wednesday. “It is likely that there will be a conference call between top officials and the political leadership to decide on the future course of action,” an official making the preparatory work for the Foreign Secretary-level talks, said.
Sharif “is taking an active role in getting to the bottom of the Pathankot incident”, a source from the Pakistan Prime Minister’s House said. “He also discussed the issue with Army Chief Gen Raheel Sharif and took him on board about the decision to form a JIT,” the source added. “This investigation will be a major test of the prime minister to move Pakistan-India relationship forward and to break the cycle of off-again on-again talks between the two neighbours.”
