Hopeful of NIA team's visit to Pak to probe Pathankot attack: Govt

Amid thaw in Indo-Pak relations, Union minister Kiren Rijiju on Monday said that the government was hopeful a team of National Investigation Agency will soon visit the neighbouring country to gather evidence in connection with the Pathankot terror attack.

"We are hopeful that a team of NIA will visit Pakistan soon," the Minister of State for Home told reporters in News Delhi.

Pakistan High Commissioner Abdul Basit had indicated last fortnight that Indian investigators may not be allowed to visit Pakistan to pursue the probe in connection with the Pathankot attack.

However, India countered it by saying that before the visit of a Pakistani Joint Investigation Team in India last month, both sides had agreed that it would be on the basis of reciprocity.

Official sources said that Pakistan has backtracked from its promise to allow the Indian team's visit there to probe the January 2 Pathankot terror attack case apparently after finding that the NIA has enough evidence to nail ISI's links with terrorists involved in it.

Basit had also said that at present the peace process between India and Pakistan is "suspended".