Pathankot attack: Meeting between JIT, NIA underway

The meeting between National Investigation Agency (NIA) officials and a five-member Joint Investigation Team (JIT) from Pakistan, which arrived here yesterday to probe the deadly terrorist attack on the Pathankot Air Force Base, is currently underway at the NIA headquarter.

According to sources, the JIT comprises of Punjab Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) AIG Rai Tahir as convener, Intelligence Bureau Lahore Deputy Director General Azim Arshad, Lt. Col Tanvir Ahmed of the ISI, Lt, Col Irfan Mirza of MI and Gujranwala CTD Investigating Officer Shahid Tanveer.

The team would visit Pathankot on March 29.

The NIA investigators are expected to seek details on arrests in Pakistan and the action it has taken on the basis of intercepted telephone call records handed over by NSA Ajit Doval to his Pakistani counterpart, Lieutenant General Nasir Janjua.

This is for the first time in over two -and- a- half decades that Pakistan will be joining investigations in a terror attack, which was executed by Pakistan based Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) militants.

The Indian authorities are still working on modalities authorities. As of now, it is said that they will not go by road and will only fly to Pathankot.

Reports state that the team's movement would be restricted only to the area of the engagement between security forces and JeM terrorists.

On January 2, terrorists attacked the Pathankot Air Force Station, part of the Western Air Command of the Indian Air Force.

Four terrorists were killed and two security personnel were martyred in the gun battle.