ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has set up a five-member Joint Investigation Team to probe the Pathankot airbase terror attack, a week after it lodged and FIR into the incident. The team would visit the airbase next month to gather evidence subject to permission by the Indian government to conduct its own investigation. The team comprises Punjab Counter Terrorism Department Additional Inspector General of Police Muhammad Tahir Rai, Lahore Deputy Director General Intelligence Bureau Mohammad Azim Arshad, Inter-Services Intelligence Lt Col Tanvir Ahmed, Military Intelligence Lt Col Irfan Mirza and Gujjaranwala Investigating Officer Shahid Tanveer.
Meanwhile, a Pakistani daily has reported that the country is doing just enough for neighbouring country India to resume the dialogue process. In an editorial 'All For Show', The Nation stating that the anti-terrorism court sentenced two Jaish-e-Mohammad members to 10 years in prison for raising funds for the banned outfit, said, “With relations between India and Pakistan balanced on a knife's edge, one wonders if this crackdown is a strategy to improve relations between both as a form of appeasement to India, or a genuine effort to limit terrorism in Pakistan.”
Conviction of Kashif Siddique and Rashid Iqbal is possibly the first time members of terrorist outfit JEM have been convicted under the Anti-terrorism Act. The paper said that the state wants to convey that dialogue resumption between both the nations is a priority for the government. “The past few days has seen the government pick up its pace with regards to the Pathankot investigation. While the two convicted seemingly had nothing to do with the attacks themselves, Pakistan is looking to do just about enough for India to resume the dialogue process. It remains to be seen whether India will take this bait, however. This action is not likely to soften the Indian government's expectations of Pakistan.”
The editorial also said that it must be remembered that bringing JeM down “may help in the talks process, but benefits Pakistan more in the way of eliminating a prominent terrorist outfit. It is axiomatic that Pakistan cannot hope to eliminate terrorism from its soil and leave such groups unscathed.”
