JIT gets Indian visas, prepares 50 questions

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistani JIT has got visas of India and has prepared a 50-point questionnaire for investigating the Pathankot incident.

The Pakistani authorities have requested India to grant seven-day stay for the JIT on the Pathankot incident. It will leave the country on March 27 evening. “The JIT’s modus operandi and modalities have been agreed between the Indo-Pak authorities,” said a senior member of the JIT while talking exclusively to The News on condition of anonymity.

The Pakistani authorities conveyed to India that the JIT is of the opinion that it requires a minimum seven-day stay there to carry forward the investigation. The JIT’s senior official said that concerned authorities of both countries had agreed on the mandate andworking of the JIT and hoped that the issue of stay would also be solved amicably.

The top officer of the JIT said that the JIT would enjoy the same power, mandate and authority in India as in Pakistan. The JIT would work under its own CRPC in India and would visit the crime scene and collect evidences.

The JIT will meet witnesses to record their statements. The JIT would also call on Indian investigation officers who already carried out the investigation for sharing information. The JIT will examine the arms the terrorists used. It would also record statements of the victims of the terrorist attack and would prepare the memo of the tragedy. India agreed with all the modalities and gave a green signal to Pak authorities. Officers from CTD, IB, MI and ISI would be part of the team.

The senior officer said although the incident and crime scene are outside of the country, criminal procedure code empowers the JIT to exercise its powers in India and Pakistan. The JIT is headed by a police officer.