India has blamed Pakistani terrorists for the attack on the Pathankot air base earlier this year.
Highlights
- Pakistan action against terror bigger priority than India-Pakistan talks
- Indian foreign secy talks with Pakistani counterpart indefinitely put off
- Fate of talks to depend on Pakistan investigation into Pathankot attacks
Action against terror takes priority over dialogue with Pakistan, the government said today making clear that bilateral talks were hinged on Islamabad's action against plotters of the
Pathankot attack.
"In the aftermath of a terror attack, if you ask me what will you give priority to, the terror attack or a dialogue, I think the answer is obvious," Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar said today.
India has blamed Pakistani terrorists for the Pathankot attack in January, submitted evidence to prove that the six men who opened fire at the air base came from across the border, and demanded action against the Masood Azhar-led terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed, which plotted the assault. Till that happens, New Delhi has indicated that it will not reschedule talks between the Foreign Secretaries of both countries that were derailed after the air base was targeted.
Sources have told NDTV that the fate of the talks will largely depend on the Pakistani investigation into the deadly attack. A five-member
Joint Investigation Team (JIT) formed by Islamabad last month is
expected to visit India later this month.
On Tuesday, Pakistan said it may make
Masood Azhar available to Indian investigating agencies for questioning, adding that it will first probe the case.
"First of all, we have to investigate ourselves and (find out) what it is... if he (Masood) does something (wrong) we would move against (him)," said Sartaj Aziz, the Foreign Affairs Advisor to the Pakistan Prime Minister.
"I think, (Pakistan's) response to (terrorist attack in) Pathankot has been very positive and prompt. Prime Minister (Nawaz Sharif) immediately called the Indian Prime Minister (Narendra Modi) and said we are ready to co-operate," Mr Aziz added.
On Tuesday, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar told Parliament that the Pathankot attack was carried out by
Pakistan's "non-state actors" who operate with the support of the Pakistani establishment. Referring to that remark, Mr Aziz said, "I think it is out of date."
Last month, Pakistani authorities lodged a first information report over the Pathankot attack without naming the Jaish chief who India has accused of having masterminded the strike.
The January 2 attack left seven security personnel dead. Six terrorists, who attacked the base, were killed in a gun battle which lasted almost three days.