Pathankot atack probe: Pakistan accepts terrorists were its nationals, claims report

New Delhi: In what may possibly make India’s case stronger before international community, Pakistan has finally admitted that the terrorists involved in the attack on Pathankot air force base were its nationals, report claimed on Thursday.

According to a Hindustan Times report, the admission from Pakistan came in the form of the Pakistani Joint Investigation Team (JIT)’s written request to the national investigation agency (NIA) for sharing evidence in the case.

The request was made under Section 188 of the Pakistani CrPC, which applies to Pakistani nationals who commit crime outside the country, HT quoted NIA officials as saying.

Pakistani team probing the Pathankot terror strike on Thursday completed recording statements of the witnesses and were also handed over some more documents which included DNA report of the four terrorists killed in the 80-hour gun battle with security forces.

The Joint Investigating Team (JIT) of Pakistan headed by Additional Inspector General of Police, Counter Terrorism Department, Muhammad Tahir Rai and also including ISI's Lt Col Tanvir Ahmed, began their day by recording the statements of witnesses in the case, NIA sources said.

They questioned 16 witnesses in all, including a Superintendent of Police rank officer of Punjab Salwinder Singh, his jeweller friend Rajesh Verma and cook Madan Gopal. The three were kidnapped by the Pathankot attack perpetrators belonging to the banned Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed on the intervening night of December 31 and January one.

The Pakistani JIT had asked NIA to hand over swabs of four terrorists identified as Nasir Hussain (Punjab province), Abu Bakar, (Gujranwala), Umar Farooq and Abdul Qayum (both from Sindh). However, the Indian anti-terror probe agency handed over to the visitors the DNA report of the terrorists and asked them to match those with their family members, NIA sources said.

The official further told HT that the NIA probe converges with the investigation carried out in Pakistan at some place. The JIT has accepted that the attackers came from Pakistan.