NIA to visit Pakistan in May to gather proof on Pathankot

Indian investigators will visit Pakistan to investigate the Pathankot attack case with their counterparts in the neighbouring country, National Investigation Agency (NIA) chief Sharad Kumar said on Friday.

Kumar’s statement came after the conclusion of the first round of evidence-sharing exercise, for which a joint investigation team (JIT) from Pakistan visited Delhi, Pathankot airbase and other spots.

Sources said the visit is likely to take place in the first or second week of May.

Eight persons, including seven security personnel, were killed in the January 2 attack.

“We expressed that a team of NIA could be sent to Pakistan for a probe since the conspiracy was hatched in that country. They welcomed the idea and the dates will be worked out later,” Kumar said.

Sources said the Pakistan JIT paid special attention to recording the statements of two witnesses – Punjab’s superintendent of police Salwinder Singh and his jeweller friend Rajesh Verma – among all 16 who were lined before it for examination.

Kumar said in his statement that on the JIT’s request, the NIA provided certified copies of postmortem reports, medico-legal reports, DNA reports of dead attackers, and the seizure memo of articles from the scene of crime.

The NIA told the JIT that Pakistan-based terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammad and its head Maulana Masood Azhar and other officer-bearers were involved in the attack’s planning and execution.

“The NIA sought voice samples of some senior bearers of Jaish-e-Mohammad, and DNA sample of the mother of one of the slain terrorists, Nasir Hussain,” said Kumar.

Kumar said the JIT assured the NIA of their full cooperation and promised to execute the Letter Rogatory, which is basically an Indian court-approved request for assistance in probe, which has been received by them.