Pathankot attack: Pak team to arrive on March 27

A Pakistani Joint Investigation Team will arrive in India on March 27 to carry forward its probe into the Pathankot terror attack.

The announcement was made by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj after discussions with her Pakistani counterpart Sartaj Aziz  on the sidelines of the SAARC ministerial meeting in this resort town of Nepal.

Pathankot terror attack figured very high in the over 20-minute meeting between Sushma and Aziz, the first political-level engagement between the two sides after the January 2 Pathankot terror strike. India has been pressing Pakistan for action over the brazen assault on the key Indian Air Force base.

Sushma also accepted Pakistan’s invitation for Prime Minister Narendra Modi to visit Islamabad for the SAARC Summit to be held on November 9-10 this year.

“We talked on Pathankot also and I am happy to say that the dates of the visit of Joint Investigation Team (JIT) have been fixed. They will reach India on (March) 27 night and will begin their work



on 28,” Swaraj said in her joint address to the media with Aziz.

Asked if the JIT would visit the Pathankot air base, government sources said the modalities of the visit will be worked out in the coming days. Sources said during the meeting between Swaraj and Aziz, Pakistan asked whether March 27 works out for India. “Calls were made to both capitals and the dates were fixed,” a source said.

On his part, Aziz complimented the way the Pathankot issue was handled and the cooperation extended on both sides. He hoped that the cooperation will pave the way for “good results”.

Aziz also hoped that Modi and Pakistani premier Nawaz Sharif will meet in the United States on March 31 on the sidelines of the Nuclear Security Summit in Washington.

Complementing the conducive environment in which the SAARC meeting was held, Sushma said, “Some issues which were unresolved between our two countries (India and Pakistan), we have taken a decision on them in a very positive manner.”