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Friday March 29, 2024

Indian MPs criticise police, security agencies on Pathankot attack

By our correspondents
May 04, 2016

LAHORE: Four months after the January 2, 2016 the 17-hour long Pathankot Air Force Station attacks that had claimed lives of seven security personnel and a civilian, a report compiled by a cross-party panel of Indian legislators has raised questions regarding the country’s readiness and preparedness against terror offensives, besides voicing grave concern over intelligence lapses.

In its critique, the parliamentary panel has viewed that there was something seriously wrong with the Indian counter-terror security establishment, maintaining that the Home Ministry, security agencies and the Punjab Police were ill-prepared to anticipate threats in time and counter them swiftly despite concrete and credible intelligence inputs.

In its latest report on the subject, Indian media listed 10 developments in the story. The widely-watched Indian news channel has stated: “In its report, the cross-party panel of MPs rips into the home ministry while raising questions on India's preparedness against terror attacks.”

The Indian lawmakers have lamented the fact that the terrorists had managed to breach a high security air base and had succeeded in launching an attack despite an advance alert. The report added: “On January 2, six terrorists who had infiltrated into India through the border entered the high security Pathankot airbase and opened fire. In an operation that lasted nearly three days, seven military personnel were killed.

The house panel points out that the terrorists were able to sneak in despite fencing, floodlights and patrolling along the border by the Border Security Force (BSF) personnel. The security at the airbase is also listed as a weak link. "The airbase security was not so robust and it had poorly-guarded perimeter wall. There was no patrolling around the base,” the report says. The panel also notes that the long growth of shrubs and plants around the base helped the terrorists hide and made it difficult for the security forces to search the area.

Indian media has further reported: “The role of the Punjab police is described as ‘very questionable and suspicious’ in connection with the officer whose car was hijacked by the terrorists. ‘Even after their SP was abducted they took so long to arrive at a conclusion that the abduction was not a simple crime but it had serious security repercussions,’ the parliamentary committee says. 

It is imperative to recall that soon after the Pathankot Air Base attacks, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had condemned the attack, saying: “Today, enemies of humanity who can't see India progress tried to strike at our strategic area, a prominent airbase at Pathankot. I appreciate our armed forces and thank them for foiling our enemy's attempt.”

President Pranab Mukherjee had also slated the attack and had sent condolences to the families of soldiers who had lost their lives. The Indian Home Affairs Minister, Rajnath Singh, was quoted by media as opining: “Pakistan is our neighbouring country. We want good relations with not just Pakistan but with all our neighbours. We also want peace, but if there is any terror attack on India, we will give a befitting reply.”

On January 14, 2016 or just 12 days after this terror attack, activists from the Hindu Sena, a right-wing Hindu nationalist group, had vandalised the PIA offices in New Delhi, besides damaging computers and furniture in the facility.

The Pakistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs had issued a press release, whereby it had deplored the Pathankot attack and had offered condolences. The Pakistan Foreign Office spokesman, Qazi Khalilullah, had said. “Building on the goodwill created during the recent high-level contacts between the two countries, Pakistan remains committed to partner with India as well as other countries in the region to completely eradicate the menace of terrorism afflicting our region.”

A message from Premier Nawaz Sharif had read: “India should understand that Pakistan itself had been one of the greatest victims of terrorist attacks on its soil.” Other nations which denounced this attack included United States, Germany, United Kingdom, Afghanistan, Italy, Japan, Bangladesh, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Maldives, Nepal, South Africa, South Korea and Sri Lanka.

While US President Barack Obama had strongly rebuked the attack, the American Secretary of State, John Kerry, had requested the Pakistani Prime Minister to continue the discussion with India, saying that this attack must not affect dialogue between the two countries.