Pathankot attack: More raids, arrests in Punjab

Pakistan seeks more evidence as India says FIR registration not enough

Agencies

LAHORE/NEW DELHI: Pakistani law-enforcement agencies (LEAs) have conducted raids in various cities of the Punjab and arrested a number of suspects in connection with the attack on the Pathankot airbase in India. The raids were conducted in Sialkot, Gujranwala, Jhelum and Dina, and the suspects were shifted to an undisclosed location for interrogation.

According to a BBC report, Pakistan has started investigations regarding the telephone numbers provided by India and allegedly used in planning the attacks on the Pathankot airbase. The LEAs are looking for those allegedly involved directly in the attacks or the facilitators of the attackers.

Special teams comprising police and other law-enforcers are conducting raids across the country, especially in central Punjab cities. An interior ministry official said on condition of anonymity that during the last two days, raids have been conducted in Sialkot, Gujranwala, Jhelum and Dina and some suspects have been taken into custody. It is suspected that the arrested people have been in contact with the alleged extremists in the near past.

The official said these people went underground when news stories were run by the media after the attacks. He said these suspects had also abandoned the use of the said telephone numbers (SIMs) and that was why locating them had become very difficult. However, he added, those points are being searched for the suspects where they had last used the said telephone numbers.

However, Indian Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar lost his cool during an Indian TV interview and stated that registering an FIR was not enough.

He said serious action should be taken for India’s satisfaction. The Indian minister talked big and even threatened an attack saying those who led an onslaught against India would be given a befitting reply.

He said India did not consider Pakistan and China as threats.

About the withdrawal of troops from Siachen, Parrikar said such a question should not even be asked.

The minister covered up the shortcomings of his own security forces as a terrorist crackdown proves to be a challenge for India with an attack first in Pathankot and then in Occupied Kashmir.

The minister said registration of a case was merely a step forward but it won’t do. “There should be serious investigation. Our effort is that they should take legal action to our satisfaction,” Parrikar said.

Meanwhile, the Prime Minister’s Advisor on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz said that no case could be registered on the basis of some telephone numbers. The FIR registration is the first step and further evidence was needed from India to continue investigations.

Addressing a seminar, Sartaj said registration of a case in Pakistan regarding the Pathankot attack was no problem for Pakistan.

He said investigation into any crime committed across border needed solid evidence, and that was why the FIR registration was delayed.

He said a case had been registered in Gujranwala as Pakistan wanted good relations with India. He said a Pakistani team would go to India and then a further investigation would be carried out in Pakistan.