'Pathankot attack was staged by India to defame Pakistan'

The Pakistani Joint Investigation Team, probing the Pathankot terrorist attack in India, in its final report allegedly raises serious questions over the accuracy of the Indian government’s claims with regards to the attack.

The final report, which will soon be submitted to Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif also claims that India had prior information about the attackers, reports Pakistani daily Pakistan Today.

A source familiar with the report also said that the JIT was not convinced with the evidence provided to them by the National Investigation Agency. He was quoted as saying, “India used the attack as a tool to expand its ‘vicious propaganda’ against Pakistan ‘without having any solid evidence to back the claim’.”

The report further goes on to say that the Indian government did not cooperate with the JIT in the investigation. On the contrary, the report accuses the government of making efforts to hinder the probe process by the five-member team.

Pakistan Today quotes the source, saying, “The report also raises serious questions over the veracity of Indian claims regarding the Pathankot attack. The JIT has concluded that contrary to the claims of the Indian government about the duration of the encounter, the standoff between the Indian army and alleged terrorists ended within hours of the attack.”

He further said that findings in the investigation revealed that the attack was staged. 

“Indian authorities also failed to establish that the attackers entered from Pakistan,” the report said. The source further said all attackers involved were shot dead by Indian security forces, within hours of the assault. However, he claimed that authorities maintained the facade of a three-day assault, which would garner attention from the global community, maligning Pakistan.

Pakistani investigators were allowed to enter the military airbase from the narrow adjacent routes instead of the main entrance and their duration of the visit was just 55 minutes, enough to take a mere walk through the military facility, sources close to the JIT were quoted as saying in media reports.

Not enough evidence could be collected in this limited time, said sources.

The JIT members visited the Pathankot airbase on March 29 where NIA officials briefed them and showed them the route from where the attackers stormed the airbase.

Media reports state that sources claimed that the lights along the 24-km perimeter wall of the Pathankot airbase were found to be faulty on the eve of the attack.

However, the Pakistani team was allegedly only informed about the negligence of Border Security Force and Indian forces.

During their five-day visit, Indian authorities shared with the JIT all evidence pertaining to the attack, including the DNA of four terrorists, their identity as well as call records showing involvement of Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorists behind the attack on the Pathankot air base during the intervening night of January 1 and 2.

The gun battle which lasted for more than 80 hours left seven security personnel dead. Bodies of four terrorists have been recovered so far.